94 ROYAL GARDENS 



took place. An attempt was made to repair the Chapel roof. 

 Owing, it was said, to no expert advice having been sought, 

 a far greater weight than the old walls were able to support 

 was placed upon them, with disastrous results. The whole 

 roof fell in, and dragged with it the beautiful old clerestory. 

 The Chapel has never been restored. 



During the nineteenth century several visits to the ancient 

 palace were made by British sovereigns, George IV. went 

 there in 1822, and Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort 

 paid their first visit in 1842. The former visit is chiefly 

 noteworthy from the fact that it led to the sum of ^^24,000 

 being voted by Parliament for repairs to the palace, and for 

 putting the grounds in order. Queen Victoria's had con- 

 siderably more important and lasting results. Holyrood was 

 found to be in a condition unfit to receive her. But both 

 she and Prince Consort were fond of building and planting, 

 and a great deal of work was put in hand without delay, and 

 more projected, in order to make the old palace once more a 

 suitable residence for royalty. As a consequence, not only 

 on their second visit in 1850 and often afterwards did they 

 make use of Holyrood as a resting-place when travelling to 

 and from Balmoral, but it has never again been allowed to 

 get into a really bad state of repair. 



Edward VII. held a levee in the palace during his first 

 visit to Scotland after his Coronation ; and many improve- 

 ments were effected, and a very considerable amount of deco- 

 ration and ornamentation was carried out for the reception of 

 Their Majesties King George V. and Queen Mary in July 

 191 1. They then met with such a notably loyal and enthu- 

 siastic welcome that no surprise would be felt if a second visit, 

 at no very distant date, were made to the ancient palace of 

 Holyrood House. 



The garden at Holyrood is chiefly remarkable for the 

 beauty of its surroundings on south and east, and for the 

 utter unworthiness of those on west and north sides. Dismal 

 buildings and noisy factories have been allowed to encroach ; 



