ROYAL RESIDENCES 29 



gave up Kew House to George and Charlotte, 

 taking for herself the "Dutch House" across 

 the way, till her death, not long afterwards; 

 and when the lease ran out, it was bought for 

 the Queen. The larger mansion had also been 

 acquired, the royal family thus, from tenants, 

 coming to be owners of both houses. 



The smaller house the present Kew Palace 

 was kept up by them with a separate establish- 

 ment, at first used as the royal nursery, later on 

 for the education of the older sons : and for a 

 time it came to be known as the Prince of 

 Wales's House. Even then there was not 

 accommodation for the dozen or so of youngsters 

 who spent much of their childhood at Kew ; and 

 we hear of the King leasing or buying houses 

 on Kew Green, where his flock of princes and 

 princesses could be brought up in good air, the old 

 Kew House serving always as the family rendez- 

 vous. In the grounds, towards the Richmond 

 Park side, Charlotte built the picturesque 

 "Queen's Cottage," where this industrious lady 

 would ply her needle with her children about 

 her, while the King read aloud, often from 

 Shakespeare, for whom he professed a truly 

 British admiration, though, as he told Miss 



