Royal Hospital Chelsea: Chelsea Pensioners, Tours & What to See

The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London is a fantastic place to visit for a tour or an event. Royal Hospital Chelsea was founded as an almshouse, in the ancient sense of the word “hospital”. The grounds are 66 acres in size on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea.

Royal Hospital Chelsea History and Chelsea Pensioners

Residents of the hospital are known as Chelsea Pensioners. You may have seen them in full uniform at many state events. The Pensioners are often on duty at Remembrance services and many other British ceremonial events. Chelsea pensioners have a nice uniform that combines blue trousers, a red tunic, and a distinctive hat called the tricorne.

Charles II founded the Royal Hospital in 1682 as a home for retired army veterans or, in his own words, “those broken by age or war”. Hôtel des Invalides in Paris inspired him. Hôtel des Invalides was founded by Louis the Great of France. You can read the full history of the pensioners and the hospital on the RHC website.

What to See at Royal Hospital Chelsea

Charles II Statue and Figure Court

To honour the founder, King Charles II, a statue stands in the centre of the main courtyard of the hospital. It’s a nice statue that was created between 1680 and 1682. It depicts Charles in the attire of a Roman emperor. The statue is of brass and was originally gilded in bronze. However, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, it was re-gilded.

Chapel Designed By Christopher Wren

A fantastic part of a tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is to visit the chapel. Sir Christopher Wren designed the hospital’s chapel, which is a fine example of Wren’s pure ecclesiastical work. Sir Christopher Wren is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.

The chapel was 13 metres in height, and it was completed in 1687. This chapel contains a fine painting of the Resurrection in the half dome of the apse. The Chapel was consecrated in August 1691, and services were held twice daily. However, services take place on Sunday mornings or special military services nowadays.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall is also a fantastic thing to see when visiting. I’ve visited for lunch with a friend here, and the food is delicious. When entering the Great Hall, my friend often compares it to Hogwarts School of Harry Potter fame.

The Grand Hall contains a large mural painting from around 1690, which depicts Charles II of England on horseback being crowned by the winged figure of Victory. The hall has been used for a variety of purposes, including as a dining hall for the pensioners or for recreational purposes. Also, the Duke of Wellington lay in state in 1852, and the table on which his coffin rested is just inside the entrance.

Overall, this is an impressive hall to visit and has details of every campaign the British army has been involved with from the Time of Charles II until today.

Gardens

The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens classifies the gardens of the Royal Hospital as Grade II listed. These are an absolute delight to explore on a sunny day. The gardens are an ideal place to see and photograph the hospital buildings. Some residents take part in the gardening. The garden also has raised beds for those less able to satisfy their green fingers.

Margaret Thatcher Memorial

Another thing to see at the site is the Margaret Thatcher memorial, which sits next to The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary. She chose it to be her last resting place after building a fantastic relationship with the hospital in the last 10 years of her life.

Sunrise in Chelsea, London

When I stayed with my Chelsea Pensioner friend, I got to see lots more of the hospital. This included an epic walk during sunrise.

The grounds of the hospital are a great place to watch the sunrise, as it’s perfectly located. The portico, quadrangle and King Charles II statue really were special.

The cannons that face towards the River and Battersea Power Station really enhance the light of sunrise.

Events at Royal Hospital Chelsea

Chelsea Flower Show

The South Grounds of the Hospital are used for public events, including the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. This is a signature event, held by the Royal Horticultural Society. It has been held here since 1913, and it gets about 165,000 visitors each year.

Chelsea Winter Village and Illuminations

Each December, Royal Hospital Chelsea hosts the Chelsea Winter Village and Illuminations. We visited during our Christmas holidays and enjoyed exploring the site and seeing all the fascinating lights while walking through the grounds. We also enjoyed some food and beer while enjoying the event and listening to the Chelsea Pensioners carol singing. To find out opening times and prices, visit their website.

Visiting Royal Hospital Chelsea

Royal Hospital Chelsea Tours

I’m lucky enough to have a friend who is a Chelsea Pensioner who has given me a few tours, including on my most recent visit to London. It’s a lovely site to get shown around and learn some history; however, nicer to see an old friend.

Anyone can visit the site for a prearranged tour via their website. A Chelsea Pensioner hosts tours of the site, which last 2 hours. These tours include learning about the 300-plus-year history of the site and the ambassadorial role of the Chelsea Pensioners.

You will get to see some splendid listed buildings, statues and artwork. Tours also include visiting the grand hall and the chapel. These tours last 2 hours with 30 minutes allocated to peruse the museum and gift shop. You can also arrange group tours for over 10 people on their website.

Public Transport to Royal Hospital Chelsea

The nearest tube station is Sloane Square, and it is a 10-15-minute walk to the entrance of Royal Hospital Chelsea. You can also catch a few options for buses to reach the hospital.

What’s Nearby?

The hospital is in a pleasant part of Chelsea in London, and the walk from the tube station takes you past Sloane Square, Duke of York Square and the Saatchi Gallery. Many other prime tourist attractions in London are easily accessible from the site on public transport. On my last stay, I visited Westminster Abbey and the street food market in Nearby Duke of York Square.