Royal Hospital Chelsea 2023

Queen Mathilde of the Belgians made a special nod to the history of her hosts when she attended the Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in London.

The Belgian queen was guest of honour alongside her husband, King Philippe, for the annual event which honours the Royal Chelsea Hospital’s founder, King Charles II.

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And she chose a dress decorated with a pattern reminiscent of oak leaves as a mark of respect for the celebration she was attending.

For Founder’s Day is also known as Oak Apple Day, to commemorate the branches which saved the life of the last British king called Charles. In 1651, when the Monarchy had been abolished and he was fighting to restore it, royal troops were defeated at the Battle of Worcester and the would be monarch had to hide in an oak tree to avoid capture by the forces of Oliver Cromwell who had already stood over the execution of the first King Charles in 1649. It worked and the man who would become Charles II escaped into the countryside and made his way to France where he began his exile.

However, in 1660, the Monarchy was restored. The date of its re-establishment, May 29th, soon became a public holiday and was known as Oak Apple Day, a reference to the tree which had played so vital a part in the eventual success of the Crown.

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King Charles II set up the Royal Hospital in Chelsea in 1682 as a retirement home for soldiers. It honours its founder every year and part of the ceremony involves placing oak leaves around a gold statue of the king. As the parade is so close to Oak Apple Day, those in attendance also pin oak leaves to their shoulders.

Queen Mathilde made her own tribute with a white dress featuring a draped neckline that was decorated with a bright green, leaf pattern. Her Majesty also chose a small, green hat with leaf effect and pinned the traditional oak leave corsage to her shoulder.

As well as being a rather special tribute, the dress selection might have a practical side, too. In parts of England, including Sussex and Essex, anyone not wearing leaves on Oak Apple Day was liable to be pinched, sometimes on the posterior, earning the day another nickname of ”Pinch-bum”.