Ixii Sir William Jackson Hooker . 
there, and daily walked in the grounds, or the Duchess 
drove in a light pony carriage, carefully keeping off the 
lawns and the edges of the walks. The Duke died before 
my father took up his residence at Kew itself, but the Duchess 
and the Princess Mary, afterwards the Duchess of Teck, 
constantly invited him to accompany them in their walks, 
and were not backward in giving him their opinion of his 
operations. The Princess would come and tap at his study 
window for him to come out and show her interesting plants 
in the houses and grounds, though he never (as has been re- 
ported in some biographies of Her Royal Highness) either 
taught her botany, or was ever asked to do so. Knowing as 
all do her charm of character, it is not surprising that my 
father, who was no courtier, greatly enjoyed such interviews 
with his Royal neighbours ; and he profited by them too, for 
he had the opportunity of meeting at Cambridge Cottage 
men of the highest distinction, and introducing them to the 
wonders of Kew. 
The only other allusions to Royalty which I find in my 
father’s correspondence are of a visit to Osborne by command 
of the Queen in 1850, and the following extract from a letter 
to Mr. Turner, dated August, 1854 :‘The Gardens are in- 
creasing amazingly in beauty, interest, and popularity. The 
Queen has been here three times in less than six weeks, and 
I was required by her to inquire if the Palace could not be 
put in repair for her and her children. The Duchess of 
Gloucester 1 commanded my attendance last week ; the Queen 
Dowager came on Friday with a very large suite, and re- 
mained three hours in the Gardens and Museum. The Palm 
House, now that it is filled, is the admiration of everybody, 
and the view of the palms from the gallery is most striking. 
The Queen was enchanted with it. But the Museum is, if 
possible, more attractive still, and is crowded daily.’ 
In 1843 my father reverted to the plan followed during 
the palmy days of Kew, when under the patronage of Sir 
1 The Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Sophia were the last of the Royal 
family to reside at the Palace of Kew. 
