Page 25 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 61

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Inspecting Officer King of the Belgians

Royal Hospital Chelsea – Founders Day

Thursday 8th June 2023

Founder day is run annually to commemorate The event was very fortunate from a weather
the birthday of Charles II and the date of his perspective as it was a sunny warm day that allowed
restoration as King in 1660. The Oak reference us all to sit in the gardens and enjoy a glass of wine
commemorates the escape of Charles II after the (or two).
Battle of Worcester (1651), when he hid in an oak The Association is usually awarded 7 tickets for
tree to avoid capture by the Parliamentary forces. this event – if you would like to be considered to
For this reason, all members of the Parade wear attend in 2024 then please pass your name to the
sprigs of oak leaves. Secretary.
King Charles II founded the Royal Hospital Capt Terry Reddings and his
Chelsea to provide a home for ‘the relief of veter- wife Julie with In-Pensioner
ans broken by age or war’. He was inspired by Les Bill Horsburgh
Invalides, the French hospital that had been built
by Louis XIV in Paris 11 years earlier. Nowadays
the Grade I listed site is still home to c280 Chelsea
Pensioners, who are all former soldiers of the
British Army.
As for previous years, the ACC Association
were in attendance to celebrate the day with our
In Pensioners – of which there are 7. The members
present were Capt Terry Reddings his wife Julie
and Maj Eric Lewis and his wife Manuela.
There are 282 In-Pensioners in the Royal
Hospital. Three In-Pensioners are aged over 100
with the average age being 82 years. The inspecting
officer was the King of the Belgians.
SECRETARY@ACCASSOCIATION.ORG | WWW.ACCASSOCIATION.ORG PAGE 25