The Royal Hospital Chelsea

Founded by Charles II ‘for the succour and relief of veterans broken by age and war,’ designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and opened in 1692, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, still serves its original purpose as lodgings for former soldiers. Today this historic site, with its elegant buildings and verdant grounds, is home to more than 300 ‘in-pensioners’, men and, since 2009, women. Photographer Patricia Rodwell was granted rare, behind-the-scenes access to the Hospital and all its activities over the course of a year, and her evocative images reveal for the first time the daily lives of the in-pensioners and the staff at this world-renowned establishment, from the moving Founder’s Day ceremony to scenes of light-hearted recreation, and from intimate moments in the in-pensioners’ accommodation to fittings for their famous scarlet uniforms. The book also features an engaging introduction and informative captions, providing an absorbing insight into the history of this remarkable institution and the lives of its residents today.