The Military Covenant: Rhetoric and Reality
The compact between the British state and those prepared to die for it is a dubious one, argues Sarah Ingham.
In 1681 Charles II authorised the foundation of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea. Home to the scarlet-coated Pensioners, it declares today that it is ‘Keeping the Nation’s Covenant with our old soldiers’. Designed by Christopher Wren, Chelsea has been part of keeping the debt of honour the country owes to those who have fought on its behalf. Nowhere better symbolises what has come to be known as the Military Covenant, which states that in exchange for their service soldiers can expect the nation’s moral and material support.
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