Apparently my love of chocolate for breakfast puts me in very good company–the company of royalty! Look what I discovered down the research rabbit hole!

Chocolate Hops the Pond

The court of Spain’s Phillip II introduced Europe to the wonders of chocolate. The addition of sugar to the bitter and spicy drink made it wildly popular in the Spanish court. From there it spread through Italy and France, finally arriving in England in the 1650’s.

Drinking chocolate—that was effectively the only way chocolate was served at first— was initially very expensive due to high import taxes on the cocoa beans. Only the wealthy could indulge, like those at the court of King Charles II, where it was very popular.

Royal Chocolate

The royal taste for chocolate was so great that not only were royal chocolate makers appointed, but special kitchens and rooms were built specifically for the labor-intensive preparation of chocolate.

In 1690, Christopher Wren built the Chocolate Kitchens in Hampton Court Palace as part of William III and Queen Mary II’s reconstruction of the palace. The additions were a demonstration of not only the wealth and power, but of the modernity of the court.

The King and Queen would drink their breakfast chocolate in the bedroom in a ritual known as the levee. During this formal event, the king or queen would don ceremonial dress and drink their chocolate in front of a small specially chosen audience. (William III enjoyed his chocolate well enough that this was often not the only time of day he partook.)

William III employed the first royal chocolate maker, Solomon de la Faya. In 1717, Thomas Tosier began working as George I’s chocolate maker. Tosier’s position was extremely privileged as it allowed him access to the king’s bed chamber to serve the king’s breakfast chocolate. Tosier also ran a chocolate house in south east London which his wife Grace managed while Thomas served at court.

Grace Tosier proved to be not only an excellent business woman, but a ‘big’ personality, growing and expanding the family business in include a great room for dancing in 1721. The chocolate house became a ‘celebrity hotspot’ attracting royalty and aristocrats from across Europe. Clever branding—the chocolate house served chocolate made by the King’s chocolate maker—was one of the keys to her success. In 1729, her portrait was painted by fashionable painter Bartholomew Dandridge and the print became a collectable celebrity print.

Read more about chocolate HERE!

To read more about Regency era Food and Drink, click here