Someone once wrote that drinking tea is like going on a voyage. Tea has made such an impact on society that cultures all around the globe have found common ground in this: the proper way to drink tea is to do so slowly. Meant to be savoured, whole rituals around tea have been created and passed down through generations—from the Japanese tea ceremony to the British afternoon tea.

Introduced in the early 1840s, the afternoon tea served as a bridge between lunch and evening meals. Not to be confused with the high tea—a late afternoon hybrid between tea and dinner—the afternoon tea was an elegant affair enjoyed by the upper crust of society.

Ladies would gather together in exclusive tête-à-têtes to take part in this refined mini meal that comprised three courses served on three-tier stands. Over genteel conversation, the courses would be eaten in the order of savouries and sandwiches, followed with scones with cream and jam, then sweet pastries and cakes.

The afternoon tea has become an occasional luxury today, but you don’t have to go far to indulge in this tasteful tradition. Raffles Makati’s Writers Bar is a discreet lounge lined with books and art, known for its traditional afternoon tea served with a whimsical twist.

Now, the Writers Bar takes its inspiration from the reigns of popular monarchs and dynasties in its Royal Afternoon Tea tea series. Launching with the luxurious Marie Antoinette Afternoon Tea, the Royal’s controversial life may have met a tragic ending, but her tradition of audacious luxury continues to inspire to this day.

The Controversial Queen

The Queen of France from 1774 to 1792, Marie Antoinette is most known today for her haughty remark, “Let them eat cake” (or, more literally, brioche). However, no historical evidence of her ever having said those words has been found. In fact, the words can be traced to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who wrote of a “great princess” who supposedly said it well before Marie Antoinette’s time.

Historians say that as peasants were starving throughout France, Marie Antoinette was longing for a more simple life. After spending a fortune commissioning the construction of an idyllic country hamlet—complete with cottages, watermills and lakes—she and her ladies-in-waiting would often dress up as peasants and pretend to work around the village as milkmaids and shepherdesses.

Marie Antoinette would also go down in history as a fashion icon—the invention of the pocket handkerchief, for example, has been attributed to her. It’s said that she was so upset about leaving her home country of Austria that she cried throughout the entire journey to France, wiping her tears away with lace torn from her dress. Afterwards, she supposedly made a point to always have a piece of lace tucked away in her dress.

She was also known for her outrageous hairstyles—one of her closest friends was the royal hairdresser Léonard Autié, who would create gravity-defying hairdos, even once adorning the queen’s hair with a model of a warship.

During the revolution, an angry mob stormed Versailles, demanding to see the Queen. Marie Antoinette bravely stood on the balcony while they jeered, threw things and even pointed their guns at her. However, she remained unhurt—impressed by her courage, the crowd allowed her to live. But as we all know, this reprieve did not last long, and she was soon beheaded. Even in her last moments, she remained proper. Her last words, after accidentally stepping on the foot of her executioner, were, “Pardon me, Sir. I meant not to do it.”

The Pinnacle of Decadence

Who wouldn’t want to indulge in a medley of sweet and savoury creations inspired by the queen’s extravagant lifestyle? The sweets at the Marie Antoinette Afternoon Tea are nothings short of sinful: classic lavender macarons, chocolate-orange financiers, rose-and-white chocolate flavoured religieuses, bitesized apple and almond tarts, vanilla sugar cookies, strawberry pavlovas. The savoury treats will also make your mouth water: delectable sandwiches made with brioche, black truffle, foie gras terrine and more. And, to make the afternoon even more exquisite, you can even add a glass of champagne.

Photography by Aldwin Aspillera | Styling and Production by Mia Borromeo