“The people stand up for royalty. The queen sits down for royal tea”

“Royalty” sounds like “royal tea.” A pun was posted on the website Pun of the Day and then on the newsgroup Google Groups: alt.humor.puns on September 19, 1999:
   
“The people stand up for royalty. The queen sits down for royal tea.”
 
“What do Kings and Queens drink? Royal-tea!” was posted on Twitter on November 9, 2009. “What kind of tea does the Queen of England drink? Royal-tea!” was posted on Twitter on December 22, 2012. “What do you drink with the Queen of England? Royal-tea” was posted on Twitter  on September 30, 2015.
 
           
Pun of the Day
The people stand up for royalty. The queen sits down for royal tea.
 
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak: 9-17-99
Stan Kegel
9/19/99
(...)
The people stand up for royalty.
The queen sits down for royal tea. (From Pun of the Day)
     
Google Books
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak: 4-7-00
Stan Kegel
4/8/00
(...)
Isn’t it interesting that the people stand up for royalty and the queen sits down for royal tea. (Myke Ashley Cooper)
     
The Golden Goose
A German folktale adapted by Judy Wolfman
Englewood, CO: Pioneer Drama Service, Inc.
2001
Pg. 17:
COMIC: The people stand up for royalty. The queen sits down for (Pause. Mimes drinking tea.) royal tea. (KING and QUEEN laugh. PRINCESS remains silent.)
 
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak 10/25/02
Stan Kegel
10/27/02
(...)
The people stand up for royalty, but the queen sits down for royal tea?
(Pun of the Day)
 
Twitter
David B Kramer
@kramerd
RT @SamGoldfield: What do Kings and Queens drink? Royal-tea!
8:19 PM - 9 Nov 2009
   
Twitter
What Josh Says
@whatjoshsays
What kind of tea do kings drink?... Royal-tea
8:03 PM - 14 Jan 2010
 
Twitter
Manas
@Spooferman_
What do kings and queens drink? Royal-tea
2:05 PM - 20 Sep 2012
     
Twitter
rita
@ritagugu
@Real_Liam_Payne I have a joke! What does the queen of england drink? Royal-tea! Royalty sounds like royal-tea! Please follow back! Love u!!
3:36 PM - 21 Oct 2012
   
Twitter
Emily Mueller
@emily_mueller97
What kind of tea does the Queen of England drink?
Royal-tea! Haha I’m so funny
5:40 PM - 22 Dec 2012
     
Twitter 
we are tea
@WeAreTea
What do you drink with the Queen of England? Royal-tea. #witteawednesday
10:04 AM - 30 Sep 2015
     
23 July 2016, The Daily Mirror (London, UK), “Double Handful” by John Shaw, pg. 7:
I made what I thought was a witty quip to one of her aides “The people stand up for royalty. The queen sits down for royal tea,” I said but the guy just looked at me as if I was some sort of idiot. I know that look rather well.
 
Twitter
katy
@wonhoville
What do you drink with the Queen of England?
Royal-tea
11:05 PM - 3 Jan 2017
 
Twitter
TeaTimeTweeter
@TeaTimeTweeter
What kind of tea does Queen Elizabeth drink?
Royal-tea!
9:54 PM - 2 Feb 2018
 
Twitter
dad jokes
@dadtellsjokes
Do you know what kind of tea you drink with the queen?
Royal-tea
11:15 PM - 10 Mar 2018