Six-year-old Ipswich girl meets the Chelsea Pensioners

Phoebe Angel, whose parent serves in the British Army, met with some of the Pensioners at Royal Hospital Chelsea and exchanged stories about military life. 

She was one of 15 military children invited to meet some of the Pensioners as part of the Hospital’s Soane Stable Yard redevelopment project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Fifteen military children met with the world famous Pensioners (Image: Little Troopers)

The project will showcase the heritage of the Royal Hospital Chelsea with a purpose-built Chelsea Pensioner Museum which will open to the public in October this year.

After touring the Hospital grounds, the group decorated miniature Pensioners’ Tricorne hats and painted dandelions which is the official flower of the military child.

The encounter was arranged by Royal Hospital Chelsea and the charity Little Troopers, who support children with parents in the military. 

Nearly 300 Pensioners live at the Royal Hospital (Image: Google Maps)

Military children often have to cope with unique challenges in their lives including frequent house and school moves, as well regular periods of separation from their serving parent or parents for varying lengths of time due to exercises, training, operations and other service commitments.

Louise Fetigan, founder of the charity Little Troopers, said: “This event was about bringing together two completely different generations who both have a connection to the Armed Forces and were interested in learning more about each other’s lives and experiences.

Phoebe Angel had a fun day making arts, crafts and friends (Image: Little Troopers)

"We’d like to thank the Royal Hospital for helping to facilitate such a special event that these little troopers will remember fondly forever."

Speaking about her visit to meet the Pensioners, Phoebe said: “I loved meeting other military children and I made a new best friend.

"I liked doing crafts with the Pensioners and Dennis was in the same corps as my Daddy."