|
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 retired British soldiers, located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea, London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word – that is, a place where hospitality was provided. The residents in the Royal Hospital are referred to as "in-pensioners" (or more colloquially, as Chelsea pensioners). ==History== The Royal Hospital was founded by King Charles II in 1682 as a retreat for veterans.〔Guidebook, p. 3〕 The provision of a hostel rather than the payment of pensions was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris.〔 The first patients included those injured at the Battle of Sedgemoor. 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, who was clerk of work in the early part of the nineteenth 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 and destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.〔 This was replaced by a modern infirmary which was located to the east of the main building and opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1961.〔 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 1960s infirmary was demolished to make way for the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary which was built in the classical style and completed in 2008.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=New Infirmary, Royal Hospital Chelsea. London. 2005 – 2008 )〕 In March 2009, the first women in the Hospital's 317-year history were admitted as In-Pensioners. Winifred Phillips (81) was the first, soon followed by Dorothy Hughes (85). Phillips trained as a nurse and later joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1948 before enlisting in the Women's Royal Army Corps in 1949 while serving in Egypt. After 22 years service she retired with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. 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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=First Women in Scarlets )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Royal Hospital Chelsea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|