Our history
The Star & Garter Home in Richmond opened its doors to the first residents on 14 January 1916, under the auspices of the British Red Cross Society, to care for the severely disabled young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War. In nearby Roehampton, The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home was opened in 1919 to serve the same purpose.
The First World War
In 1915, Queen Mary expressed concern for the future of these injured war veterans. She charged the British Red Cross Society with the task of finding a ‘permanent haven’ for them and bought the Star & Garter Hotel in Richmond. The Star & Garter Home (later Royal Star & Garter) opened its doors on 14 January 1916, to care for the severely disabled young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War.
In 1916, Lady Ripon, lady in waiting to Queen Alexandra, also recognised the need to establish a home to provide care and rehabilitation for the war wounded after the war had ended. The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home (later renamed Care for Veterans) was established at Roehampton.
The early Richmond Home
The men were accommodated in the annexe of the old Star & Garter hotel but within days of opening, the Richmond Home had reached capacity. It was apparent that the hotel was unsuitable for use as a hospital and it was more cost-effective to tear it down and build a purpose-built Home. Sir Edwin Cooper RA was appointed architect and charged with creating a ‘beautiful building’ to accommodate 200 men.
Seaside branches
In July 1919, Enbrook House, near Sandgate, Kent, was bought as a respite home for the Star & Garter veterans. It became known as ‘The Seaside Branch’ and the residents from Richmond, now numbering 70, were moved there while the new Home was being built. The Sandgate Home was closed in 1940 due to threat of invasion. The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home moved to new premises in 1933, near to the seaside in Worthing.
The new Richmond building
In Summer 1924, Their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary paid their inaugural visit to the Richmond Home and, as Patron of the Home, Queen Mary received the deeds. The new Home welcomed residents back from Sandgate in October 1924. It was now officially known as the ‘Star & Garter Home for Disabled Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’.
The Second World War
During World War II, both Homes took in a new generation of injured soldiers, sailors and airmen. These young men looked to staff and their older peers for guidance in facing a life of disability. In addition to nursing and therapeutic care, men were offered training in skills such as crafts and finance to promote independence and meaningful occupation.
The first ‘Paralympic Games’
In the late 1940s, a special paraplegic ward was established at the Richmond Home under the direction of Dr Ludwig Guttmann, consultant at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Guttmann used pioneering techniques to promote residents’ mobility, recommending sports which could be played from a wheelchair, such as archery. In 1948, Guttmann launched the Stoke Mandeville Games with an archery competition between Stoke Mandeville and the Star & Garter team. This was the first recorded competition between disabled athletes and was the forerunner to the Paralympic Games.
Royal support
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the Home’s Patron in July 1953, following the death of Her Majesty Queen Mary. Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal became the charity’s new Patron in 2024. Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra is our President.
Female residents
From 1986, the first women were welcomed as residents to the Richmond Home. Women such as Nancy Wake, Special Operations Executive, and Bevis Shergold, Intelligence Corps and Olympic Medalist, were residents.
Leaving Richmond
In 1916, the average age of the young ex-Servicemen was 22. Over a century later, the average age is now 90, and there is a need for 24-hour nursing, respite and specialist dementia care. The Richmond Home could no longer facilitate the levels of accommodation and care required in the 21st century. The Richmond building was sold in November 2014.
Merger with Care for Veterans
Royal Star & Garter completed a merger with Care for Veterans on 31 March 2025. This expanded the Royal Star & Garter group to four care homes, providing a more effective, efficient and wider-reaching offer to the veteran community of all ages.
Our Homes today
We embarked on a development programme to build a new generation of modern, award-winning Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe, which now provide care appropriate for today’s veterans. Our Worthing Home is currently undergoing a programme of refurbishment and modernisation. Our work is driven by the desire to do the very best we can for the veterans, their partners, and the families we support.
Get the Centenary book
We are very grateful to The Heritage Lottery Fund for supporting The Royal Star & Garter Homes Centenary Book, enabling the Charity to share its rich heritage with the public.