ROYAL RESIDENCES 9 



Richmond was looked on as Queen Caroline's 

 property, the expensive improvements on it 

 supposed to be paid out of her private purse, 

 though, if we may trust Horace Walpole, one of 

 his father's ways of securing her favour was to 

 draw from the King's close-buttoned pocket, on 

 the sly, for this purpose. After the death of 

 the managing Queen, Richmond was little used, 

 but for a weekly visit from the Court. Every 

 Saturday in summer, says that mocking Horace, 

 " they went in coaches and six in the middle of 

 the day, with the heavy Horse Guards kicking up 

 the dust before them, dined, walked an hour in 

 the garden, returned in the same dusty parade ; 

 and His Majesty fancied himself the most gallant 

 and lively prince in Europe." It had been 

 his wife's favourite residence; and there Scott 

 should surely have put her interview with Jeanie 

 Deans ; but he seems to mistake in placing 

 Richmond Lodge within the present Park, 

 whereas it was on low land beside the river, 

 where now stands the Observatory; then to reach 

 it from London the Duke of Argyll would 

 never have taken his horses up Richmond Hill 

 merely by way of gratifying the dairymaid with 

 a fine view, which after all, appealed most to 



