A Look Inside The Iconic Royal Hospital Chelsea

Last year as part of the Chelsea History Festival, I went on a tour of the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea. 

Home to the instantly recognisable Chelsea Pensioners, it has both stunning architecture to admire and a fascinating history. 

The Hospital’s Origins

Prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s, old and injured soldiers were generally looked after by priories and monasteries. With this safety net removed by King Henry VIII, in the succeeding years, other solutions had to be found.

In 1681 Charles II ordered the building of the Royal Chelsea Hospital to be ‘a place of refuge and shelter for such Land Soldiers as are or shall be old, lame or infirm in the service of the Crown’, modelled on the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. The inspiration came largely from Sir Stephen Fox, the Paymaster for the army, who also donated £13,000 of his own money towards the project.

The hospital part of the name suggests a more medical role but the traditional meaning of the word hospital comes from ‘hospitality’, so offering food, shelter and care. 

Rather controversially, most of the initial funding was provided by deducting it from army pay. It was funded this way until 1847. Today it is funded largely by the government but also private charitable donations.

The man chosen for the task of designing the building was the ever industrious Sir Christopher Wren. 

The site chosen was previously occupied by the ‘Chelsey College’, a theological college established by James I. The building took ten years to construct and was completed by 1692, with the initial 476 residents moving in.

Chelsea was a bit of a wild outpost at the time and there were frequent armed robberies on the King’s Road. Occasionally the Chelsea pensioners, grumpy and armed, would be deployed to sort out the ruffians in the area. 

The Hospital Today

Today around 300 veterans are looked after here, some having served in Korea, the Falklands or World War Two.

Any veteran who is over the age of 66 and at risk of spending their advanced years on their own can apply to live there. They are given accommodation, comradeship and high standards of care.

The pensioners are allowed to come and go as they please. If on site, they are encouraged to wear a blue uniform and if travelling far or for ceremonial occasions, to wear the iconic red uniform with their medals. 

Figure Court

At the heart of the hospital lies the Figure Court, so called because of the large gold statue of King Charles II in the centre.

It is enclosed by the chapel, great hall and state apartments and then open to the river to the south. 

The impressive statue was carved by famous wood carver Grinling Gibbons and portrays the King as a Roman emperor. 

The latin inscription over the colonnade translates roughly as ‘For the succour and relief of men broken by age and war, started by Charles II, extended by James II and completed by William and Mary, King and Queen 1692’.

The Berths

We had a look at a couple of the ‘heritage berths’, where the residents once lived. Ordinary berths measured 6 foot by 6 foot, whereas a sergeant would get 12 foot by 12 foot.

In the 1950s the living quarters were upgraded to give each pensioner 9 foot by 9 foot and improved again in 2015 to make sure they each have an ensuite and study area. 

The Great Hall

This is the splendid Great Hall.

The Great Hall is where, until the early 19th century, the residents regularly dined. There were originally 16 long tables, one for each ‘ward’: two sergeants, two corporals, a drummer and 21 private soldiers.

Towards the end of the 18th century pensioners started generally eating in their wards and the hall became a place for court martials, recreation, examinations and ceremonies. For example, the Duke of Wellington’s body lay in state here for a few days in 1852 before his funeral.

In 1955 the hall was returned to its original purpose. 

There are various details of battles on the wall panels, as well as flags representing battle honours.

At the end of the hall is this incredible mural started by Italian Antonio Verrio and finished by Henry Cooke.

Dating from 1690, it depicts the hospital with King Charles II in the centre surrounded by allegorical figures. Many figures represent strength and virtue and others include Lady Justice, Old Father Thames and figures representing global regions. 

The State Apartments

This is the grand, wood-panelled council chamber in the state apartments, designed as a dining and hosting area for visiting royals. 

There are portraits on the walls of Charles II, Sir Christopher Wren, Charles I and his family and Sir Stephen Fox, the main who pushed for the hospital to be built, with this incredible carved border by Grinling Gibbons. 

The Chapel 

So many of Wren’s other churches, built after the Great Fire, were constrained in their design by the floorplan of the original church and had to incorporate certain design elements, whereas the chapel of the hospital is a rare example of an ecclesiastical building, designed by Wren, with no such constraints. 

It has capacity for all of residents and the staff and two compulsory services were held here daily.

The chapel also has many lovely wood carvings in it, mostly by Grinling Gibbons

Grinling Gibbons nearly always includes a peapod in his work. The story goes that if he carved the peapod open, then he was paid on time for the work, if closed, then he was not! 

One of Chelsea pensioners helped us find it and as you can see, good news, it is open. 

At the end of the chapel is this incredible mural by the Italian painter Sebastiano Ricci, depicting the Resurrection. It has been painted into this half dome feature and wherever in the chapel you stand it stays in perspective.  

How To Visit

The Royal Hospital Chelsea run regular guided tours, that you can book onto. You can find out about the different options they have here and see their Eventbrite page here.

Thank you for reading, read about more of London’s amazing historical sites below!