The Tea Cosy in Brighton is heaving with so many tributes to Princess Diana, it’s hard to find room for a cup and saucer.

This cult, word-of-mouth hit in gay-friendly Kemptown (fifteen minutes’ walk from Brighton Station) is worth the queue, though. Pick a day out of the tourist season, and you may even have two armchairs to yourself. Along with an unmatched view of a loo seat, allegedly inhabited by a well-known member of the Royal Family.

The old-fashioned advertisements for Lyons Tea, the smell of hot buttered toast, and the delicate china are hard to resist. Even the most hardened Starbucks fan (and Republican) has to give in, once the tea-pot arrives wearing a hand-knitted frock.

If the pink sign is up outside, urging you (in a very Diana-like manner) to ‘Pop in for tea’ then you’re in luck. The Tea Cosy does not keep coffee-chain opening times, though, so if it is shut when you call, remember that there are lots of other old-fashioned Brighton cafes within a few minutes’ walk.

If you’re looking for another regal alternative, then afternoon tea at Brighton Pavilion, which many admirers have called the most beautiful palace in the country, is not far away.

Princess Diana was never a resident, but Queen Victoria (whose portrait hangs in The Tea Cosy) was a frequent visitor. If you’re planning a tour of the Pavilion, remember that the tea-room is on the top floor, and also has a good selection of old-fashioned tea. Though without the hand-knitted cosies. Or the royal loo seat. The Tea Cosy, 3 George Street, Kemptown, Brighton. The Royal Pavilion, Brighton is minutes away from The Tea Cosy, in front of The North Laines. Trains run regularly to Brighton from London Victoria.