During her recent royal tour of Japan, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, engaged with local children at a tea party, sharing a quintessential British tradition: the scone. Her demonstration, however, inadvertently ignited a familiar and passionate debate back home about the correct way to adorn this beloved treat with jam and cream.
Key Takeaways
- The Duchess of Edinburgh taught Japanese children how to prepare scones during a visit to the UK Pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025.
- Her method of applying cream before jam sparked a renewed discussion about the traditional Devon versus Cornish scone preparation.
- Royal family members have varying preferences, with the late Queen Elizabeth favoring jam first (Cornish style), while the Duchess of Edinburgh demonstrated the cream-first (Devon style) approach.
A Royal Lesson in Scones
At the Osaka Expo 2025, within the UK Pavilion, the Duchess of Edinburgh took the opportunity to introduce Japanese children to the art of enjoying a scone. After dividing a scone, she demonstrated her preferred method, which involved spreading clotted cream first, followed by strawberry jam.
This seemingly simple act, while delighting the young attendees, quickly became a talking point, reigniting the age-old
Sources
- Access Restricted, The Telegraph.
- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh reignites scone debate over jam and cream during royal tour of Japan, Nine – Honey.