The Royal Star & Garter Home was established as an independent charity in 1916 to care for the severely disabled young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War. It was Queen Mary who first expressed concern for the future of these young men, and Her Majesty charged the British Red Cross Society with the task of finding a "permanent haven" for them. The Auctioneers and Estate Agents Institute purchased the old Star & Garter hotel on Richmond Hill and handed the deeds to Queen Mary who, in turn, entrusted the building to the British Red Cross. The Royal Star & Garter Home has had a long and rich history since that time but has always remained true to its philosophy that “there is no such thing as a hopeless case” and all the residents, now and then, are cared for with support and therapy. The first 65 residents admitted in 1916 were an average age of 22. Some were able to return home while others were helped to live fulfilled lives for many years.
A new purpose built home was specially designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and funded by the British Women’s Hospital Committee under the auspices of Queen Mary. It was Her Majesty, along with King George V who opened the new home in July 1924. The Charity has continued to benefit from its royal links and has operated within this same magnificent building on top of Richmond Hill since that time.
There was once also a Star & Garter home in Sandgate, Kent, funded by the British Red Cross and again designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and known as the ‘seaside branch’. The Star & Garter at Sandgate had extensive grounds where residents kept chickens and even donkeys that were sometimes used to pull wheelchairs up the hill from the village! However, with the advent of War in 1940, it was felt prudent to move residents back to Richmond.
The Second World War brought more young men into the Richmond Home and a special paraplegic ward was set up under the direction of Dr Ludwig Guttman founder of Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Dr Guttman’s pioneering techniques aimed to get patients moving, working and playing sports again. The first “Paraplegic Games” in 1948 included an archery competition between teams from the Star & Garter and Stoke Mandeville… the Star & Garter is proud to have won that year and again in 1949!
The Home’s workshops were a hive of activity in the 1950’s where residents produced clocks, did watch and clock repairs, sock making, rug making, toy making and so on. The ‘Lest We Forget’ and ‘Not Forgotten’ associations continued to provide entertainment and outings, as they had done since the 1920’s, and companies such as Lucas Aerospace, then known as Rotax, set up benevolent funds to assist the residents.
From the early days, the Charity has enjoyed strong royal links. Following the death of Queen Mary, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth became Patron in 1953 and HRH Princess Alexandra, has been the Charity’s President since 1964. The Richmond Home has also seen many Royal visits right from the early days - Her Majesty The Queen and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, The Prince of Wales and HRH Princess Alexandra to name but a few. Other distinguished supporters from the past have included Montgomery, Eisenhower, Douglas Bader, and still to this day, Dame Vera Lynn. More recent support has come from Simon Weston OBE, and well known faces from the worlds of politics and entertainment.