The Royal Hospital Chelsea is an
Old Soldiers' retirement home and
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
for some 300 veterans of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. Founded as an
almshouse
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...
— the ancient sense of the word "hospital" — by King
Charles II in 1682, it is a site located on
Royal Hospital Road
Royal Hospital Road is a street in Chelsea, London, Chelsea, London, England. It runs between Chelsea Embankment on the north bank of the River Thames to the southwest and a junction with Lower Sloane Street, Pimlico Road, London, Pimlico Road ...
in
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area in West London, England, due south-west of Kilometre zero#Great Britain, Charing Cross by approximately . It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the SW postcode area, south-western p ...
. It is an independent charity and relies partly upon donations to cover day-to-day running costs to provide care and accommodation for veterans.
Residents are known as
Chelsea Pensioner
A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea ...
s. The gardens of the Royal Hospital are Grade II listed on the
Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
History

King
Charles II founded the Royal Hospital as a retreat for veterans in 1682.
[Guidebook, p. 3] The initiative is said to have come from
Nell Gwyn
Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English people, English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances ...
according to Peter Cunningham's "The Story of Nell Gwyn"
851 The tradition was perpetuated when her portrait was used as a sign for a public house in Grosvenor Row (a thoroughfare which disappeared in the 19th century). The provision of a hostel rather than the payment of pensions was inspired by
Les Invalides
The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldi ...
in Paris.
[ The site for the Royal Hospital was an area of Chelsea, London which held an incomplete building " Chelsey College", a theological college James I founded in 1609.]
The precursor to the foundation was the establishment in 1677 of pensions for "Reformed Officers (i.e. officers of disbanded regiments) and maimed soldiers". The main inspirational force behind the foundation of the hospital was Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716), Paymaster of the Forces
The Paymaster of the Forces was a position in the British government. The office was established in 1661, one year after the Restoration (1660), Restoration of the Monarchy to Charles II of England, and was responsible for part of the financin ...
and a trusted and able royal administrator of the King, and in 1681 Fox and the king initiated plans for a permanent hospital for disabled soldiers. Letters patent
Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
were issued on 22 December 1681 notifying the king's intention of building "an hospital for the relief of such land soldiers as are, or shall be, old, lame, or infirm in ye service of the crowne". For this purpose he appointed as "Receiver General and Treasurer of the moneys raised for the erection and maintenance of the hospital" Nicholas Johnson (d.1682), Fox's brother-in-law and successor as Paymaster of the Forces. The office of "Receiver or Paymaster and Treasurer" was held by all subsequent Paymaster of the Forces until the latter office was abolished in 1836. Fox himself, the "richest commoner in the three kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...
", donated £13,000 towards the new hospital ().
The Royal Hospital opened its doors to the Chelsea Pensioners in 1692 for "the relief and succour" of veterans. Some of the first soldiers admitted included those injured at the Battle of Sedgemoor
The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between forces loyal to James II and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in S ...
. Wren expanded his original design to add two additional quadrangles to the east and west of the central court; these were known respectively as the "Light Horse Court" and the "College Court".[Guidebook, p. 4.] Due to mismanagement by Lord Ranelagh, the Hospital Treasurer, the building was not completed until 1692.[
]
Sir John Soane
Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professor ...
, who was clerk of works in the early part of the 19th century, designed and constructed a new infirmary building which was located to the west of the main building on the site of the current National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the " Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public bod ...
and was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.[ It was replaced by a modern infirmary which was located to the east of the main building and opened by ]Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...
in 1961.[
The 1960s infirmary was demolished to make way for the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary which was designed by Sir Quinlan Terry and was completed in 2008, providing a state-of-the-art care home.
In 2002, the sovereign's mace was presented to the hospital – up until then, the hospital had had no colours or distinctive device – the mace is now carried at all the ceremonial events at the hospital.][Guidebook, p. 6.] The mace was designed by Charles Webb and Aubrey Bowden and was made by Master Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
Norman Bassant. The bowl of the mace is decorated with acorns and is surmounted by the St Edward's Crown.
In March 2009, the first women in the hospital's 317-year history were admitted as In-Pensioners. Winifred Phillips and Dorothy Hughes were the first. Winifred Phillips trained as a nurse and later joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service
The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the World War II, Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existe ...
in 1948 before enlisting in the Women's Royal Army Corps
The Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC; sometimes pronounced acronymically as , a term unpopular with its members) was the corps to which all women in the British Army belonged from 1949 to 1992 except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chap ...
in 1949 while serving in Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. After 22 years of service she retired with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.
Dorothy Hughes had joined the British Army in 1941 aged 18, later working as part of 450 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery in the London Division. In 1945 the Battery was deployed near Dover to defend against V1 flying bomb attacks. She retired with the rank of Sergeant
Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
.
Uniform
Chelsea Pensioners are entitled to come and go from the Royal Hospital as they please, and are permitted to wear civilian clothing wherever they travel. However, within the hospital, and in the surrounding area, pensioners are encouraged to wear a blue uniform (known fondly as "blues"). If they travel farther from the Royal Hospital they should wear the distinctive scarlet coats instead of the blue uniform. The scarlet coats are also worn for ceremonial occasions, accompanied by tricorne hats. (At other times a peaked shako
A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or Cap badge, badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, hackle ...
is worn.)
In uniform, the pensioners wear their medal ribbons and the insignia of rank they reached while serving in the military. They may also wear other insignia they earned during their service and many pensioners now wear parachute jump wings and even SAS jump wings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to impersonate a Chelsea pensioner; the myth probably dates from a ruling, repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2008, regarding the fraud of taking an unearned pension.
There is a legend that Nell Gwynne, Charles II's mistress, suggested red coats for the Chelsea Pensioners because she remembered the pensioners of Coningsby Hospital in Hereford
Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
(her reputed birth town) wore coats of the same colour.
Founder's Day
The Royal Hospital Founder's Day takes place close to 29 May each year – the birthday of Charles II of England, and the date of his restoration as King in 1660. It is also known as Oak Apple Day, as it commemorates the escape of the future King following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1642 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell def ...
in 1651, when he hid in the Royal Oak to avoid capture by Parliamentary
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
forces. On Founder's Day, in-pensioners of the Royal Hospital are reviewed by a member of the British Royal Family
The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...
.
Statue of King Charles II
The 7' 6" (229 cm) statue of King Charles II which stands in the central court (the Figure Court) of the hospital was cast in copper alloy by Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons (4 April 1648 – 3 August 1721) was an Anglo-Dutch sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including Windsor Castle, the Royal Hospital Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and other London church ...
; it was originally gilded but was bronzed in 1787.[Guidebook, p. 9] In 2002, the statue was regilded to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee.
Chapel
The hospital's chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
and is a fine and rare example of Wren's pure ecclesiastical work: it rises high and was completed in 1687.[ The chapel contains a fine painting of the Resurrection in the half dome of the apse, painted by ]Sebastiano Ricci
Sebastiano Ricci (1 August 165915 May 1734) was an Italian Baroque painter of the late Baroque period in Venetian painting. About the same age as Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Piazzetta, and an elder contemporary of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Tie ...
and his nephew Marco (who assisted with the painting at the Royal Hospital) and dates from the end of Queen Anne's reign.[ The chapel was consecrated in August 1691, and services were formerly held twice daily. Nowadays services are confined to Sunday mornings and special military occasions.][
]
Great Hall
The Great Hall was also designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was originally intended as a dining hall, furnished with 16 long tables, one for each original Long Ward. It contains a large mural painting from around 1690, which depicts Charles II of England on horseback being crowned by the winged figure of Victory, with the Royal Hospital Buildings behind.
Just before 1800 the pensioners started dining in the wards and the hall was then used for recreational purposes. It was here that the Duke of Wellington
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...
lay in state in 1852 and the table on which his coffin rested is just inside the entrance. The hall reverted to its original use as a dining hall in 1955.[Guidebook, p. 10]
State Apartments
The heavily moulded ceiling displaying James II's cypher is by John Grove, the wainscoting
Panelling (or paneling in the United States) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials.
Panelling was developed in antiquity t ...
is by William Cleere and the fine lime-wood carving over the fireplace is by William Emmett. The room was completed between 1685 and 1688. It was fully roofed in 1685 days before Charles II died. Within the State Apartments is also an Ante-Chamber. Both the Council Chamber and Ante-Chamber can be hired for private functions and weddings.
Margaret Thatcher Infirmary
The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary houses around 100 Chelsea Pensioners. Opened in 2009 by Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...
it is a state-of-the-art care home that offers nursing and a GP surgery. The Matron is in charge of the infirmary and has a team including nurses, therapists and care staff. The MTI has a gym and a hydrotherapy pool for use by In-Pensioners. It has a range of activities pensioners can join, from pottery classes to poetry recitals. The infirmary received the Quality Hallmark Award at Beacon Status (the highest level possible) from the National Gold Standards Framework Centre in End of Life Care in 2015.
Ceremonies
The annual Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses is based on a 300-year-old tradition which began in 1692, when the Royal Hospital Chelsea asked a local cheesemonger to provide in-pensioners with cheese to get them through the festive period. The Dairy Council is now in its 56th year of organising a special ceremony at the hospital, where donations from cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
mongers from across the country are presented to the residents. A Chelsea pensioner cuts the ceremonial cheese with a sword and the cheese is distributed among the pensioners around the Christmas period.
Another annual tradition at the Royal Hospital is the Christmas Cake Ceremony, which commenced in 1949. It is a symbol of the enduring friendship between the UK and Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and takes the form of a Christmas cake
Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, served at Christmas time in many countries.
British variations
Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. A traditional English Christmas cake is made with moist Zan ...
being presented to the hospital from the Australian Returned and Services League, with each Australian state taking it in turns year by year. Again, a pensioner at the Royal Hospital cuts the cake with a sword.
Public opening and events
The on-site museum details the history and life of the Royal Hospital and its In-Pensioners, together with displays of artefacts, documents, medals, cap badges and uniforms. Recent additions include the Sovereign's mace and Parade Chair. A large diorama depicts the Royal Hospital and Ranelagh Gardens as they appeared in 1742. Daily walking tours of the site and museum, led by Chelsea pensioners themselves, can be booked in advance.
The South Grounds of the Royal Hospital are also used for large-scale public events including the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, held by the Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
. The show has been held in the grounds since 1913, and attracts around 165,000 visitors.
In September 2022, the hospital served as the meeting point for foreign heads of state, leaders, and ambassadors to gather ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
. From there, the dignitaries traveled to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
by coach.
Singora Cannon
Prominently displayed in the grounds next to the flagpole is an inscribed cannon from Singora bearing the seal of Sultan Sulaiman Shah. The cannon was made in Singora around 1623, captured from the Sultanate of Singora by the Siamese in 1680, taken from the Siamese by the Burmese in the Burmese–Siamese war of 1765–1767 and transported to Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
. In the third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War (), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the Br ...
(1885–1887) the cannon was taken by the British and shipped back to England.
Organisation
The hospital maintains a 'military-based culture which puts a premium on comradeship'. The in-pensioners are formed into four companies, each headed by a Captain of Invalids (an ex-Army officer responsible for the 'day to day welfare, management and administration' of the pensioners under his charge).
There is also a Secretary who traditionally was responsible for paying the Army pensions, but today they look after the annual budget, staff, buildings and grounds.
Further senior staff include the Physician & Surgeon, the Matron, the Quartermaster, the Chaplain and the Adjutant.
A Board of Commissioners has governed the Royal Hospital since 1702. The ex-officio chairman of the board is HM Paymaster General (whose predecessor Sir Stephen Fox was instrumental in founding the hospital in the seventeenth century). The purpose of the Board is 'to guide the development of The Royal Hospital, ensuring the care and well-being of the residents who live there and safeguarding the historic buildings and grounds, which it owns in trust'.
Royal Hospital is also a ward of the Kensington and Chelsea Council. The population at the 2011 Census was 7,252.
List of governors
The following is a list of those who have served as Governor:
* Brigadier General Thomas Stanwix 1714–1720
* Lieutenant General Charles Churchill 1720–1722
* Lieutenant General William Evans 1722–1740
* Field Marshal Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet 1740–1768
* Field Marshal Sir George Howard 1768–1795
* Field Marshal George Townshend 1795–1796
* General Sir William Fawcett 1796–1804
* General Sir David Dundas 1804–1820
* Field Marshal Sir Samuel Hulse 1820–1837
* General Sir Edward Paget
General Sir Edward Paget (3 November 1775 – 13 May 1849) was a British Army officer.
Career
Born the fourth son of Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, Edward Paget became a cornet in the 1st Regiment of Life Guards in 1792. He was Member ...
1837–1849
* General Sir George Anson 1849
* General Sir Colin Halkett 1849–1856
* Field Marshal Sir Edward Blakeney
Field Marshal Sir Edward Blakeney (26 March 1778 – 2 August 1868) was a British Army officer. After taking part in the British occupation of Dutch Guiana as a junior officer and being taken prisoner by privateers three times, he participate ...
1856–1868
* Field Marshal Sir Alexander Woodford 1868–1870
* General Sir John Pennefather 1870–1872
* Lt-General Sir Sydney Cotton 1872–1874
* Field Marshal Sir Patrick Grant 1874–1895
* Field Marshal Sir Donald Stewart, 1st Baronet 1895–1900
* Field Marshal Sir Henry Norman 1901–1904
* Field Marshal Sir George White 1905–1912
* General Sir Neville Lyttelton 1912–1931
* General Sir Walter Braithwaite 1931–1938
* General Sir Harry Knox 1938–1943
* General Sir Clive Liddell 1943–1949
* General Sir Bernard Paget 1949–1956
* General Sir Cameron Nicholson 1956–1961
* General Sir Frank Simpson 1961–1969
* General Sir Charles Jones 1969–1975
* General Sir Antony Read 1975–1981
* General Sir Robert Ford 1981–1987
* General Sir Roland Guy 1987–1993
* General Sir Brian Kenny 1993–1999
* General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie 1999–2006
* General The Lord Walker of Aldringham 2006–2011
* General Sir Redmond Watt 2011–2018
* General Sir Adrian Bradshaw 2018–present
Notable staff
Law; Eleanor Josephine, Matron from 1907 until at least 1925.[Rogers, Sarah (2022). 'A Maker of Matrons'? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders:1880–1919' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022)] Law trained at The London Hospital under Eva Luckes between 1889 and 1891.[Eleanor Josephine Law, Register of Probationers; RLHLH/N/1/3, 46; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London]
See also
* Chelsea Flower Show
* Healthcare in London
* List of hospitals in England
The following is a list of hospitals in England. For NHS trusts, see the list of NHS Trusts.
East Midlands
East of England
London North central
East
North west
South east
South west
North East County Durham
Northumberland
No ...
;International:
* Royal Hospital Kilmainham (equivalent in Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
)
* Les Invalides
The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldi ...
, the complex which houses the French equivalent of the Royal Hospital
* Institution des Invalides de la Legion Etrangere (French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...
equivalent)
* Old soldiers' home
An old soldiers' home is a military veterans' retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc.
United Kingdom
In the United Kin ...
(USA)
References
Sources
*
External links
Official website
Selected Royal Hospital Chelsea Service Records
available from the UK National Archives
RHS Chelsea Flower Show official website
Royal Hospital Chelsea Museum
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Hospital Chelsea
1692 establishments in England
Army museums in London
British Army
Buildings and structures completed in 1692
Chelsea, London
Christopher Wren buildings in London
Domes in the United Kingdom
Grade I listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Grade I listed hospital buildings
Grade II listed parks and gardens in London
Health in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
John Soane buildings
Military history of London
Museums in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Nicholas Hawksmoor buildings
Nursing homes in the United Kingdom
Retirement homes in the United Kingdom
Social care in England
Veterans' affairs in the United Kingdom
Veterans' homes