Chelsea's Hidden Treasures
Kings Road Must Sees
Today is my birthday and I visited Chelsea for the first time. A great lunch at the Peasantry and then on to visit a few unexpected and hidden gems between the River Thames and the Kings Road. What luck! We went to the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. It's a home for service veterans in the UK. Many military personnel still reside there – you cannot miss them – resplendent in their bright red dress uniforms. Each of them has a very special story to tell and we were lucky enough to hear one of them form Magaret Thatcher’s former personal guard – no less!
The hospice was founded after a decree from King Charles II authorising its construction on December 22, 1681, to provide for the needs of elderly soldiers or victims of war injuries. Christopher Wren was commissioned to design and direct the work. His plans were inspired by the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris. When Charles II died in 1685, the main building and the chapel were completed. In 1686, Wren enlarged his original plans to add two wings, east and west of the central courtyard.
Entrance is free, most parts of the building are accessible to the public. Visitors will be amazed at the grandeur of this former hospital. We had a guided tour of the beautiful chapel adorned at one end by a mural depicting the sad entrance to paradise by each of Queen Anne’s seventeen children and the ancient organ at the other. The main hall is also a place of wonderment and beauty and should not be missed.
Almost, next door is the National Army Museum. Inside, there are several exhibitions. Some are temporary, others permanent. Notably "Could you have been a soldier?” This exhibition showed the history of the former British military, their clothing, weapons, ages, entry conditions, living conditions, working conditions...
In the end, personally, I decided that I could not have been a soldier!
There was also an exhibition on tattoos. We could see the evolution and importance of tattoos in the services over the years.
Both of these places are a testament to the vast history of the British Isles and should definitely be visited by the enquiring visitor.
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