On the south=east terrace of the original front of the hospital, facing the Thames. Home of the famous Chelsea Pensioners the Royal Hospital has also hosted the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show. since 1913 The black mulberry was lanted in 1952 for the coronation of Elizabeth II. The southernmost limb split and is now resting on the ground, supported by a soil mound aimed to encourage buds under the bark to put down roots and eventually become independent of the original trunk and roots.. There is a young mulberry in a symmetrical position to the west, possibly replacing an older tree? Girth measured by Grounds manager and a pensioner volunteer 256/3/26 just below burrs. The hospital website gives a detailed history: "The Royal Hospital Chelsea was established over 300 years ago, during the reign of King Charles II, to provide a home for soldiers "broken by age and war." In 1682, the King commissioned Sir Christopher Wren, one of Britain’s most celebrated architects, to design this sanctuary for veteran soldiers. The site chosen was in Chelsea, adjacent to the River Thames, where an earlier of Charles' projects, the huge but unfinished 'Chelsey College' stood. By 1692, the Royal Hospital opened its doors, welcoming the first 99 Chelsea Pensioners, and by the end of that year, several hundred veterans had made this their home. Wren's design, inspired by the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, initially featured Figure Court, which housed 412 veterans and their officers. As the need grew, Wren expanded his design to include Light Horse Court and College Court, ensuring the Royal Hospital could accommodate more residents. The Hospital’s early funding came from deductions from Army pay, which remained its main source of revenue until 1847."

Find out more at chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/heritage/our-history

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