Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Chelsea was said to be the brainchild of Nell Gwyn, King Charles II’s mistress, when she came across a ragged civil war veteran who was begging in the street.
Chelsea Hospital Founded in 1682 by King Charles II.
Inspired by Louis XIV's 'Hotel des Invalides' in Paris and wanted to create an equally splendid home for his veteran soldiers.
Designed by Wren and built on the former site of the uncompleted building of the former “Chelsey College on the banks of the River Thames. It had also been used to house the prisoners of the Civil War, and again for prisoners of the Dutch war in 1667 before becoming a hospital for the army soldier. This beautiful building that has such a vast history behind its doors has yet to be discovered by the hordes of tourists, it is well worth a visit and comparable to 'Hotel des Invalides' in Paris minus Napoleons tomb and better still the entrance fee is free.
Louis XIV's Hotel des Invalides in Paris inspiration for the Chelsea Hospital
Days out rating from our awards: ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣
All content of this site is the property of knowledgeoflondon.com and must not be reproduced without permission. Every effort is made to ensure the details contained on this site are correct, however we cannot accept responsibility for errors and omissions.
© 2004 - 2008
Contact us | About | Home Page | London Chatroom
