50 KEW GARDENS 



Delaney in the royal esteem. But her health 

 broke down, and after five years' genteel servitude 

 she retired on a pension of a hundred pounds.. 



During these years the Court had its summer 

 head-quarters at Windsor. Every second week, 

 the "Royals" spent from Tuesday to Friday 

 at Kew, using this as a half-way house for 

 St. James's, where on Thursdays the Queen held 

 her fortnightly drawing - rooms. This was Miss 

 Burney's hardest job. She had to be up at six 

 on drawing - room days, with hardly time for 

 breakfast, to help in dressing the Queen, who 

 put on most of her finery at Kew, the " tippet 

 and long ruffles " being carried in paper to save 

 them from dust ; then the final touches were 

 added at St. James's, where, after the function, 

 the idol had to be undecked in all, three 

 laborious attendances and two journeys, from 

 which the tired keeper of the robes got back 

 to dinner not till nearly seven o'clock, as then 

 seemed a very late hour. 



In winter, when the Court moved to London, 

 there would be no going to Kew, which indeed 

 was not fitted up as a cold weather residence. 

 When it came to be occupied for months during 

 the King's illness, strips of carpet and sandbags 



