• Search our Site
• Project Britain
• Calendars
• Facts and figures
  • Introduction
    • The Countries
    • The Land
    • Regions
  • The United Kingdom
  • Great Britain
    • England
    • Scotland
    • Wales
  • Identity
  • Trade
    • Industries
    • Economy
  • Religion
  • Multiculture
  • Population
  • Weather
  • British Flag
• London
• Great Britain
• Union Flag
• A-Z of Britain
• Customs & traditions
  • Folklore Calendar
  • Unusual Customs
  • Festivals & holidays
  • National days
  • National Flowers
  • Traditional dances
  • Bank holidays
  • Superstitions
  • Costumes
• Britain today
  • Main index
  • Identity
  • Teenagers
  • Population
  • Religion
  • Multiculture
  • Social Class
  • Stereotypes
  • Language
  • Names
• Daily Life
  • Main index
  • Cost of living
  • Family life
  • Houses
  • Transport
  • Shops
  • Pubs
  • Weddings
• Money
• Etiquette
  • Do's and don'ts
  • Greetings
  • Social Customs
  • Eating Manners
  • Questions and answers
• Monarchy
  • Main index
  • The Queen
  • The royal family
  • Ceremonies
  • Succession
  • Family Tree
  • Royal Crest
  • National Anthem
  • Kings and Queens
• Government
• Education
• Tourist Information
  • Essentials
  • Money
  • Landmarks
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • Time
• Food and drink
  • Main index
  • Meal times
  • Main dishes
  • Puddings
  • Afternoon Tea
  • Pies
  • Cheeses
  • Eating Etiquette
• Sports and leisure
  • Sports
  • Leisure activities
• History
  • Timeline
  • Kings and Queens
• Kings and Queens
• Superstitions
• Glossary

Chelsea Pensioners
Who are "The Men in Scarlet" uniforms? Wandering around London you may come across elderly men in distinctive scarlet uniform. They are known as the Chelsea Pensioners and they are are carying on 300 years of tradition. They live in the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in West London Who are the Chelsea Pensioners? The term 'Chelsea Pensioner' is used to refer to both ‘In-' and ‘Out-Pensioners' who are former British soldiers. An ‘In-Pensioner' lives in the Royal Hospital Chelsea. An 'Out-Pensioner' lives away from the hospital. The Chelsea Pensioner Uniform The Chelsea Pensioners have two uniforms – their "undress" (navy blue), and the better-known red coats and tricorne hats. Chelsea Pensioners wear a three quarter length scarlet frock coat with Royal blue facings to the cuffs and collar. They also wear navy trousers with a scarlet stripe and tricorn pattern cap. Hats The three-cornered (tricorne) hat worn on official occasions. Every day hat When is the best time to see Chelsea Pensioners? If you are lucky, you will see Chelsea Pensioners walking around London, otherwise the best times to see the Penshioners in full scarlet uniform is on: 29 May - Oak Apple Day The Chelsea Pensioners honour of the birthday of the Hospital's founder, King Charles II, with a parade. The King's statue is adorned with oak leaves to commemorate his escape after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, when the claimant to the throne hid in the Boscobel Oak. RHS Chelsea Flower Show The Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, celebrated since 1692. Every December, the dairy industry honour the bravery and heroism of our war veterans when cheesemakers from all over Great Britain present British cheeses to the pensioners. The tradition itself dates back to 1692 when the hospital asked a local cheesemonger to provide the pensioners with cheese as a Christmas treat. Back to Remembrance Day pages

© Copyright - please read All the materials on these pages are free for homework and classroom use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on any other website or blog without written permission from the Mandy Barrow.

© Copyright Mandy Barrow 2014

Mandy is the creator of the Woodlands Resources section of the Woodlands Junior website. 
The two websites projectbritain.com and primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk are the new homes for the Woodlands Resources.

Mandy left Woodlands in 2003 to work in Kent schools as an ICT Consultant.
She now teaches computers at The Granville School and St. John's Primary School in Sevenoaks Kent.

Follow Mandy on Twitter

Woodlands Junior Homework Help new website