The Royal British Legion, sometimes referred to as simply
The Legion, is the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
's leading
charityA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered around goals of a general philanthropic nature A charitable...
providing financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served or who are currently serving in the
British Armed ForcesThe armed forces of the United Kingdom, known as His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces or sometimes the British Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a navy, an army, and an air force...
, and their dependants.
The British Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-Service community as a merger of four organisations: the
Comrades of the Great WarThe Comrades of The Great War were formed in 1917 as a non-political association to represent the rights of ex-service men and women who had served or had been discharged from service during The Great War. Comrades of The Great War is was one of the original four ex-service associations that...
, the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers, the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers and the Officers' Association. It was granted a
Royal CharterIn medieval Europe, royal charters were used to create cities . The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled.At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be...
on 29 May 1971 to mark its fiftieth anniversary which gives the Legion the privilege of the prefix 'Royal'.
Earl HaigEarl Haig is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. During the First World War he was Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium from 1915 to 1918...
, commander of the Battle of the Somme and
PasschendaeleThe Battle of Passchendaele, or Third Battle of Ypres The Battle of Passchendaele, or Third Battle of Ypres The Battle of Passchendaele, or Third Battle of Ypres (also known as the Second Battle of Flanders was one of the major battles of World War I. The battle consisted of a series of...
was one of the founders of the Legion, and was President until his death.
Perhaps known best for the annual Poppy Appeal and Remembrance services, including the Festival of Remembrance, the Legion was born as a campaigning organisation and has been active behind the scenes in promoting the welfare and interests of the Services and ex-Service community for 86 years.
The Legion fight nearly 36,000 ongoing War Disablement Pension cases for war veterans and make around 300,000 welfare and friendship visits every year.
Ongoing Legion campaigns include calls for more research into:
Gulf IllnessPersian Gulf War syndrome or Persian Gulf War illness is an illness reported by combat veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War typified by a range of medically unexplained symptoms...
and compensation for its victims; upgrading of War Pensions; the extension of endowment mortgage compensation for personnel serving overseas; and better support for Service personnel resettling into civilian life. In 2007, the Legion launched the Honour the Covenant campaign urging the Government to honour the
Military CovenantThe Military Covenant is a term introduced into British public life to refer to the mutual obligations between the nation and its Armed Forces....
.
Poppy Appeal
The charity organises a fund-raising drive each year in the weeks before
Remembrance SundayIn the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is the second Sunday of November, the Sunday nearest to 11 November , which is the anniversary of the end of the hostilities of the First World War at 11 a.m...
, during which artificial
poppiesA poppy is any of a number of colorful flowers, typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. They include a number of attractive wildflower species with colorful flowers found growing singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens...
, meant to be worn on clothing, are offered to the public in return for a charitable
donationA donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, vehicles, it also may consist of emergency, relief or humanitarian aid...
. Over the course of the preceding year a team of around 50 people, the majority of them disabled and ex-Service connected – work all year round producing millions of poppies at the factory in
RichmondRichmond often refers to:*Richmond, Virginia*Richmond, London, previously Richmond, Surrey*Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond may also refer to:-Australia:...
. The idea of poppies dates back to the poem
In Flanders Fields"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most famous poems written during World War I and has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period. It is written in the form of a French rondeau...
about the First World War, after which the Legion was founded. Poppies are worn until
Remembrance DayRemembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on...
to remember the fallen of the First World War, and implicitly of all wars.
The Poppy Appeal has a higher profile than any other charity appeal in the UK, with the poppies ubiquitous from late October until mid-November every year and worn by the general public, politicians, and others in public life such as television presenters. However, some have criticised the level of compulsion associated with the custom.
In
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, a separate charity, the
Earl Haig Fund ScotlandThe Earl Haig Fund Scotland, trading as poppyscotland, is a Scottish charity founded in 1921 by Field Marshal Lord Haig as part of the Haig Fund. It is dedicated to raising funds for former members of the armed forces...
(often using the name 'Poppies Scotland'), run the poppy appeal in association with the Royal British Legion. Until a few years ago the wording on the black button in the centre of the poppy, even outside of Scotland, was "HAIG FUND", now in England it says "POPPY APPEAL".
Since 1933, there has been a
White Poppythumb|right|300px|Artificial poppies placed as [[Anzac Day]] tributes on a [[cenotaph]] in [[New Zealand]]; mostly [[red poppy#Symbol|red poppies]] marketed by the [[Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association]], with a lone [[White Poppy]] specimen...
run by the
Peace Pledge UnionThe Peace Pledge Union is a British pacifist non-governmental organization. It emerged from an initiative by Dick Sheppard, canon of St Paul's Cathedral, in 1934, after he had published a letter in the Manchester Guardian and other newspapers, inviting men to send him postcards pledging never to...
, which is seen as an alternative by anti-war activists.
Although the Poppy Appeal has no official policy on how to wear a poppy, some believe it is customary for gentlemen to wear a poppy on the left hand side of their chest, for example in their
buttonholeButtonholes are holes in fabric that are paired with functional buttons that serve as fasteners. Buttonholes may be either made by hand sewing or automated by a sewing machine...
, and for ladies to wear a poppy on the right hand side of their chest. Exceptions exist for armed forces members; some wear it on their
cap badgeA cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
, and some (such as the RAF) wear it on the right hand side of the chest as the left hand side of the chest is reserved for medals.
Festival of Remembrance
The Legion organises the Festival of Remembrance on the Saturday preceding
Remembrance SundayIn the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is the second Sunday of November, the Sunday nearest to 11 November , which is the anniversary of the end of the hostilities of the First World War at 11 a.m...
. The Festival, held in the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is an arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, has acquired a status approaching that of a state event such as
Trooping the ColourTrooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rallying points...
. Originally featuring composer
John FouldsJohn Herbert Foulds , was a British composer of classical music from England.A successful composer of light music and theatre scores, his principal creative energies went into more ambitious and exploratory works that were particularly influenced by Indian music...
's
World RequiemA World Requiem, Op. 60 is a large-scale symphonic work with soloists and choirs by the British composer John Foulds. Written as a requiem and using forces similar in scale to Mahler's Eighth Symphony, the work calls for a full symphony orchestra, soloists, massed choirs including children's...
it includes military displays by current members of the armed forces, choral performances, and prayers. It culminates with the parading of Legion branch banners down the aisles and onto the floor of the hall, and the release of poppy petals from the roof.
The event is run twice; the first, afternoon event is open to any member of the public. The evening event is the more prestigious; tickets are only available to members of the Legion and their families, and senior members of the
Royal FamilyImage:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Image:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner...
(
the QueenElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
,
Prince PhilipThe Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark, and thus a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, but renounced these titles shortly before his marriage and adopted the...
,
the Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1952, he has been heir apparent to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms. After earning a bachelor of arts from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served a tour of duty with Royal Navy...
,
the Duke of YorkThe Prince Andrew, Duke of York , is the second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and
the Earl of WessexThe Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the third son and fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
as well as other, less well-known, members of the royal family such as the Duke of Kent) are in attendance. In 2007, the second half of the evening event was aired live on
BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the UK. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
BBC One
showed the event an hour later.
Most parts of the Festival are of a formal, thought-provoking, and solemn nature. In recent years, lighter sketches have been included, for example depicting civilian life during wartime, in an attempt to attract viewers from generations born after the Second World War.
Honour the Covenant Campaign
Honour the Covenant is a campaign launched by The Royal British Legion in September 2007, which calls on the
UK GovernmentHer Majesty's Government is the government of the United Kingdom. Under the Constitution of the United Kingdom, executive authority notionally lies with the monarch but is exercised in practice by her ministers...
to honour the
Military CovenantThe Military Covenant is a term introduced into British public life to refer to the mutual obligations between the nation and its Armed Forces....
. The campaign aims to seek public support for the issues identified by the Legion and to encourage their
Members of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
to act to ensure that Government policy is changed.
The campaign accuses the Government of failing to meet its commitments under the Covenant. The Legion highlighted the case of a 23-year-old paratrooper, injured in battle, who was awarded £152,150 despite injuries requiring care for the rest of his life. It also criticised the practice of treating soldiers in wards alongside civilian patients. In his conference speech that October,
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
leader
David CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom. He has occupied both positions since December 2005....
referred to the Covenant and said "
Mr. BrownJames Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party. Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007, after the resignation of Tony Blair and three days after becoming leader of the governing Labour Party...
, I believe your government has broken it."
Responding to the Royal British Legion's campaign, the
Secretary of State for HealthSecretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
Alan JohnsonAlan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle since 1997. He has been the Home Secretary since June 2009, and before that filled a wide variety of Cabinet positions, including both Health and Education Secretary...
announced in November 2007 that armed forces veterans would get priority treatment on the
National Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the publicly-funded health care services in Great Britain. In England the name National Health Service is used without further qualification whereas the services in Scotland and Wales are known as NHS Scotland and NHS Wales...
, and those injured would be treated immediately in hospital rather than go through waiting lists. Prescription charges would also be waived. A tight budget settlement for the Ministry of Defence in 2007 saw five former Chiefs of the Defence Staff launch personal criticism of
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
Gordon Brown in a simultaneous
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
debate.
In upholding the claim of six
GurkhaGurkha, also spelled as Gorkha or Ghurka, are people from Nepal and northern India who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. His disciple Bappa Rawal, born Prince Kalbhoj/Prince Shailadhish, founded the house of Mewar, Rajasthan...
soldiers for the right to settle in Britain at the end of their service, Mr Justice Blake's judgement in September 2008 recited the Military Covenant before observing that granting them residence in Britain "would, in my judgement, be a vindication and an enhancement of this covenant".
Support
The Legion sponsored
civvystreet website assists Service leavers and members of the ex-Service community and their dependants with information, advice and guidance (IAG) on resettlement, learning and work. Services are provided by partner organisations who are qualified in providing specialist services. Opportunities for funding may also be available to those who qualify for assistance. The website have been designed to give a single gateway to the services and support that our partners provide for resettlement, learning and work..
Bands
There are over 50 Legion
bandRock band redirects here. For the video game series, see Rock Band A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music...
s around the world, each run and funded independently. They include full concert show bands, brass ensembles, pipe and drum bands, marching carnival bands and youth bands.
The Central Band of the Royal British LegionThe Central Band of the Royal British Legion is a concert band associated with the Royal British Legion.In 2004 it celebrated its Diamond Jubilee, marking sixty years of music making dating back to World War II...
is the Legion's flagship band. In existence since 1944, the band was recognised as the Legion's premier band in 1983 and gained its title of "The Central Band of the Royal British Legion" three years later.
Clubs
The Royal British Legion has an extensive network of Social Clubs called Legion Halls throughout the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
; sometimes these are known as United Services or Ex-Servicemens Clubs. The Royal British Legion also has branches in the Republic of Ireland, and spread around the world, mostly in mainland Europe, but also in America, and Azerbaijan amongst other world nations.
Membership
The Royal British Legion has an official membership magazine
Legion, which is free to all Legion members as part of their annual subscription.
Anyone can join the Legion, it is no longer required to have served in the military.
See also
- Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on...
- British Army
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
- Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
- Royal Navy
The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
- Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
- SSAFA Forces Help
SSAFA Forces Help is a British based charitable organization set up to help former and serving members of the United Kingdom British Armed Forces and their families or dependants...
- Returned & Services League of Australia
- Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, often referred to as the Returned Services' Association but best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world.Founded in 1916 by...
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization. VFW currently has 1.6 million members and is the largest American organization of combat veterans.-Membership:...
External links