One has a sweet tooth! Prince Charles reveals he takes HONEY in his tea instead of sugar (and a master blender says we should ALL make the swap)
- Prince Charles takes his tea black with one spoon of honey, it's been revealed
- Master blenders applauded the future king and they said we should all try it
- Honey compliments the delicate flavour of tea better than sugar, she says
- But a nutritionist warns it's no healthier for you than a lump or two
The Queen wakes up every morning with a cup of Twining's tea served with milk, and absolutely no sugar.
But it seems her eldest son and heir to the throne Prince Charles, 68, has a much sweeter tooth.
The heir apparent takes his tea with a spoonful of honey, it's been revealed - so there's no point asking the Duke of Cornwall if he likes one lump or two.
The future king was seen quaffing his favourite beverage yesterday at a star-studded reception at Clarence House held in honour of the Duchess of Cornwall's 70th birthday next week.
Prince Charles enjoyed his favourite way of taking tea yesterday at a drinks reception to celebrate his wife's 70th birthday next week: black with a spoon of honey (pictured yesterday at Clarence House)
The Prince of Wales was happily sipping on a cup of black tea without milk as he worked the room at the drinks afternoon event yesterday, with Joanna Lumley, Mario Testino and Darcey Bussell among the famous faces attending.
But why does he prefer a spoon of honey instead of a traditional sugar lump, or two?
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The Duke is well-known for his hands-on approach to managing the Duchy of Cornwall, the £728 million portfolio of land and property that he runs.
That portfolio includes the organic Duchy Home Farm within the gardens of the Prince's country home, Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, which has produced raw runny honey for some time now.
Prince Charles is a well known tea drinker - and like his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, he likes his tea sweetened. Camilla likes her tea with milk and one sugar, while the Duke takes it black with a spoon of honey
Prince Charles can often be seen with a cup in tea in hand at official events and functions, including here at a service at St Mary's Church in Abergavenny in Wales earlier this month
But perhaps the Duke's preference for honey in his tea is based on advice from expert master blenders.
Twining's master blender, Rishi Deb, explained that the combination of honey and tea 'works particularly well with black teas like a darjeeling.
'In these instances, the light, fruity tones of honey complement the floral juicy notes of the tea, while heightening the flavour and adding to the tasting experience.'
Chloe O'Hare-Carroll, expert tea blender at independent tea specialist Yumchaa Tea, says she always recommends drinkers add honey to tea instead of sugar.
She explained: 'It's much more versatile than sugar and not as overwhelmingly sweet. Particularly if you're drinking a loose leaf green tea, using raw honey instead of sugar will better compliment the delicate flavours of the tea.'
She added: 'Orange blossom honey goes well with most teas and tupelo honey goes especially well with jasmine teas.
'The different flavours in honey will allow you to customise your tea to your preferences and mood.'
Many also believe that the natural sweetener is a healthier alternative to refined sugar, with those in the raw food and clean eating movements believing that natural sugars such as honey and maple syrup are better for you than refined sugar.
Prince Charles has often been spied drinking tea at openings and events, such as at the opening of the Said Business School's new building at Oxford University in 2013
An expert believes we should all be drinking tea like Prince Charles as honey can compliment the delicate flavours of tea, especially with green tea (pictured in 2013 at the Central London Samaritans)
They are often used as alternatives in healthy recipes.
But nutritionist Lily Soutter explains that using honey as a sweetener is no healthier for you than using normal sugar.
She explained: 'Honey is mostly sugar, with small amounts of vitamins, minerals and some antioxidants. However we would need to eat a vast amount of honey to gain any real benefits, which is not advisable and would not fall within the government guidelines.
'Free sugars are any sugars that are added to food or drinks, or those which are found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juice.
'The NHS and WHO advise that free sugars should fall below 5 per cent of our total calorie intake per day – that's around 30g (or 7 tsp per day).
'Honey may raise blood sugar slightly less than table sugar, however this effect varies widely between the quality and types of of honey.
'If you are over eating free sugars throughout the day, then minimising the sugar in your tea may be a first great step to ensure your daily consumption is within government guidelines.'
Prince Charles may not heed her advice however - unlike his mother, the Queen.
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