Words and images by Renato Amoroso

London, England, 2017

Amid the charming streets of London’s Chelsea neighborhood, set on 27 acres, stands the Royal Hospital Chelsea — a magnificent building in service to retired British soldiers. Established in 1682 by King Charles II, the hospital was founded as a dignified refuge for wounded, elderly, and destitute veterans. For more than three centuries, it has been home to those who once served the nation. Its most iconic presence is the Chelsea Pensioners themselves, dressed in their distinctive scarlet coats — distinguished former servicemen, aged between 70 and 100, who fought in conflicts across the globe.

In 2017, while attending a photography workshop with the Magnum agency, I decided to visit the site in search of war veterans. At the time, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk had just premiered in theaters, and I was drawn to the subject of the Second World War. The Magnum mentors discouraged my idea outright, insisting that virtually no veterans of that war were still alive — and that gaining entry to the hospital would be impossible. Reluctantly, I asked them for just a few days to try. That very afternoon, I went to the hospital and, in the most innocent way possible, attempted to walk in. No luck.

I followed up with phone calls to the administration, but they remained unmoved and denied me access. So I devised a plan, unsure if it could work. Next door to the hospital sits the National Army Museum. My idea: wait in the café for a Chelsea Pensioner to appear and approach him directly. The following day, I was inside the Royal Hospital.