More than two centuries after the Boston Tea Party made tea a symbol of rebellion, one awkward cup in the White House quietly brewed its own diplomatic moment.

Back in 1981, when he King Charles was still the Prince of Wales, he paid a visit to Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office. 

A tea quickly turned into an awkward moment when it arrived with the teabag still inside. 

Totally normal in the US but for a British royal, not quite the done thing.

According to royal author David Charter, Reagan quickly realised something was off. 

The future King politely held the cup, clearly unsure how to proceed, before eventually setting it down untouched. 

Reagan later admitted in his diary that he feared he had committed a social misstep, writing that he didn’t quite know how to recover from the moment. 

Charles, for his part, reportedly admitted he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it either.

Just a few years later, in 1985, Charles returned to Washington with Princess Diana for their first joint U.S. visit this time with no tea related uncertainty overshadowing proceedings. 

Instead, the trip became one of the most memorable royal visits in modern history, featuring a glittering evening at the White House where Diana famously danced with John Travolta.

King Charles is preparing to return to the White House once again, this time alongside Queen Camilla for a state visit marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.