The National Army Museum in London was established in 1960 by Royal Charter to collect and preserve British military artifacts and documents dating back to 1066 AD. It has a universal approach to military history and is located in Chelsea, close to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Admission is free, and the museum is funded annually by the Ministry of Defense. Past exhibits have included the role of the army in trade and historic warfare.
The National Army Museum, located in London, England, was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1960. Queen Elizabeth II signed the Royal Charter on April 8, establishing the Council of the National Army Museum to oversee the museum and his mission. The aim of the museum is to collect and preserve documents and artifacts relating to the British military. Public awareness and appreciation of Army history is the underlying purpose of preserving historical information and examples.
Located in the central London borough of Chelsea, the National Army Museum is in close proximity to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a nursing home and hospice hospital for Army veterans. Originally conceived by Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer and housed at the Royal Military Academy, the museum moved to Chelsea in 1971. To further enhance the museum’s connection to British history, the current site once housed Walpole House, the residence of the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Construction on the museum site began in 1961, ending decades of neglect after Walpole House suffered severe damage during the war years.
The histories held by the museum date back to 1066 AD and include incarnations of the colonial and imperial military. Admission to the museum is free to the public to foster education and historical awareness. Christmas and New Years are the only holidays when the museum is not open. The annual funding from the Ministry of Defense helps to cover the museum’s operating expenses under the National Heritage Act.
Unlike other national museums dedicated to the British Army, the National Army Museum has a universal approach to military history. Other museums highlight specific regiments, eras in Army history, or expand exhibits to include effects of Army life or various civilian wartime involvements. Alternatively, the National Army Museum showcases the armies that helped create the modern UK from 1066 AD onwards through modern incarnations and histories of the army.
As with most museums, the exhibits displayed and events organized by the National Army Museum change on a regular basis. All installations, however, refer to the vast history of the British military and its role in the evolution of the United Kingdom. Examples of past exhibits include documents and artefacts relating to the role of the army in establishing trade between Britain and other countries, the role of the army in historic warfare, and the various incarnations of the British military. The armies established by the East India Company are an example of the historical bodies whose historical documents and artifacts are held by the National Army Museum.
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