FORTNUM & MASON, Queen Anne Blend, 25 Tea Bags

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Culpeper, N. (1653). Carrots. The complete herbal . Retrieved from http://www.complete-herbal.com/culpepper/carrots.htm

According to Dr. John Christopher, Queen Anne’s lace is a pituitary stimulant that initiates an endocrine cascade on the thyroid, kidneys, and sex hormones (Peters, 2014). This endocrine stimulation, particularly where sex hormones are concerned, may be why Queen Anne’s lace is thought by some to stimulate libido.Grieve, M. (1971). A modern herbal (Vols. 1-2) . (Original work published 1931). New York, NY: Dover Publications. Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine . Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press. Across the Atlantic, American landowners and merchants who took their cultural cues from England eagerly aspired to acquire these tables. Martha Washington owned one. Benjamin Franklin contemplated getting one for his sister as a wedding gift, before priggishly changing his mind and buying her a spinning wheel instead because, as he explained in his letter to her, "the character of a good housewife was far preferable to that of being only a pretty gentlewoman." Easy to reproduce, they were soon widely available. Indeed, it is impossible to browse through an antique store today without stubbing one's toe on a reproduction.

Peters, E. (2014). Wild carrot monograph. Retrieved from https://www.wildcurrentherbalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Daucus-carota-Monograph-FINAL-SMALL.pdfIn 1742, near the end of her life, Sarah released memoirs of her relationship with Queen Anne. Modern scholars claim that Churchill’s recollections were prejudiced, potentially as a form of revenge for her dismissal. Referring to Anne as a “weak and irresolute woman,” these memoirs initially giving historians a wrongful image of what Anne was like during her reign. 6. She was enthusiastic about political affairs

Lastly, Queen Anne’s lace seed’s volatile oil has long been used in Europe for its emollient, skin-softening, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known to be a powerful antioxidant (Kumarasamy et al., 2005; Purchon & Cantele, 2014). Hail to the Queen Jansen, G.C., & Wohlmuth, H. (2014). Carrot seed for contraception: A review. Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine, 26 , 10-17. The Exemplification of the Act of Union – a copy of the act sent to Scotland in 1707 with a portrait of Queen Anne in top left. 8. She faced tragic pregnancies The use of Queen Anne’s lace to prevent pregnancy stems from its ability to act on the endocrine system. Several scientific studies have shown wild carrot to have mild estrogenic and anti-progestogenic activity (Jansen & Wohlmuth, 2014). Because progesterone is needed for egg implantation, Queen Anne’s lace is believed to inhibit conception by reducing the egg’s ability to implant in the uterus. Animal research using carrot seed extract has shown some support for this as well (Bhatnagar, 1995). When using Queen Anne’s lace to prevent pregnancy, it is commonly suggested to use 1 teaspoon of Queen Anne’s lace seed in a small amount of water. This mixture should be drunk 8 hours after intercourse and repeated every 8 hours for a total of 3 times to prevent egg implantation and conception from occurring. Herbalists such as Robin Rose Bennet, Phyllis Light, Donna Eaton, and Lise Wolff have all reported success with clients looking to use Queen Anne’s lace (flowers, seeds, and sometimes both) to avoid pregnancy—both in tea and tincture form (Peters, 2014)!

From Fortnum & Mason

In my search for information on Queen Anne’s lace, I came across an account of well-respected Appalachian folk herbalist, Tommie Bass, using a strong Queen Anne’s lace infusion for cases of edema, and it was mentioned that it made a “bitter brew” (Richey, 2010) when used in this manner. There have been a few hints here and there about this plant being used as a mild hepatic herb and laxative, probably due to its bitter taste when heavily decocted. Herbalist Maude Grieve (1931/1971) mentions its traditional use for jaundice, and Emily Peters (2014) documents wild carrot’s bitter taste and bitter classification in traditional Chinese medicine. In reaction to the queen’s infertility, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement in 1701, choosing a successor to inherit the throne upon Anne’s death. The only seemingly good choice was the line of Sophia of Hanover, the youngest legitimate descendants of Charles I amongst the Stuarts. Crucially, they were Protestants. Queen Anne’s lace is also used to dissolve stones or gravel in the kidneys. Herbalist Maude Grieve (1931/1971) recommends drinking a strong decoction of Queen Anne’s lace for this purpose), and herbalist Ryan Drum (n.d.) recommends Queen Anne’s lace seed decoctions for clients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP) and prostatitis due to the volatile oils’ ability to ease inflammation.