Although many men are named in tea's history, plenty of women have anonymously contributed to the industry, from picking and processing to steeping and serving a cuppa at the sipping end of our favourite beverage. Today you'll find many women at the helm of tea businesses supplying a largely female tea-drinking population.
One of the few named ladies whose influence continues in tea culture to the present day is Catarina de Bragança (1638-1705), born a Portuguese princess. She married Charles II, who ruled as King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1662 to 1685. Tea was a popular beverage among Portuguese nobility by the time she arrived in the English court, and as part of her dowry she reportedly brought tea, cane, lacquer, cotton and porcelain.
It'd be glossing over tea history to say the queen consort introduced tea to England, as the English had been acquainted with the beverage since the mid-17th century-before her arrival. However, it was a rare enough commodity, even among the upper class, that we must credit her with its ensuing popularity.
The English took a while to warm to Catarina as she was Roman Catholic at a time when England had become fanatically Anglican (as for the circumstances of the marriage, let's just say England was skint and rich Portugal bailed them out of trouble) but her habit of taking tea, which Charles II soon enough shared, won over the court.
Those were the days when royalty was celebrity (and little has changed!) so when the queen did something, it was only a matter a time before that activity began to trend, firstly among others in the royal court before spreading to the aristocratic class and then to wealthy people.
Tea drinking aside, Catarina's other contribution to tea mustn't be forgotten. Another part of her dowry included Bombay (now Mumbai) in India and, combined with Charles II's support of the East India Company, this laid the foundation for tea trade with the east and, eventually, the establishment of India's tea plantations.
So, on Thursday, remember to celebrate the named and unnamed women throughout history who have brought tea to your cup.
