The League of Mercy was a British foundation established in 1899 by

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. The goal of the organisation was to recruit a large number of volunteers to aid the sick and suffering at charity hospitals. It was disbanded at the establishment of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

in 1947, with its royal charter subsequently surrendered. In its lifetime it collected a total of £850,000, £600,000 for London Hospitals and £250,000 for rural 'cottage hospitals' with subscriptions being as little as a shilling (12p) a year for servants and tradespeople. In 1999, the League of Mercy Foundation was established to recognise and reward volunteers.

History

In 1898, Sir

Everard Hambro Sir Everard Alexander Hambro (11 April 1842 – 26 February 1925) was a British banker and philanthropist. Early life Everard Hambro was born 11 April 1842 in Willesden, London. Charles Mosley (ed.), ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage'', Crans, ...

chaired a committee established to consider several submitted plans and proposals on devising a badly needed organisation. On 1 March 1899, the Edward, Prince of Wales chaired a meeting at

Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was built in 1711 for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marl ...

to establish a fundraising body to support voluntary hospitals and announce subsequent directives. Sixty-five districts were established based on Parliamentary constituency divisions, each with a president (grandee) who coordinated the collection of donations through middle class volunteers. Many notable contemporaries were in attendance at the meeting, including the

Duke of Westminster Duke of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to the ...

, the

Marquess of Lorne A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

, the Marquess of Camden, Earl Carrington,

Earl of Clarendon Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The family seat is Holywell House, near Swanmore, Hampshire. First creation of the title The title was created for the first time in the Peer ...

Earl of Dartmouth Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth. History The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a ...

, Sir W. Hart Dyke, Sir Whittaker Ellis, Sir Arthur Hayter, Sir Fitzroy D. Maclean,

Weetman Pearson Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, (15 July 1856 – 1 May 1927), known as Sir Weetman Pearson, Bt between 1894 and 1910, and as Lord Cowdray between 1910 and 1917, was a British engineer, oil industrialist, benefactor and Libe ...

and

Edmund Boulnois Edmund Boulnois (17 June 1838 – 7 May 1911) was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. Edmund was the son of William Boulnois of St John's Wood, the proprietor of the ''Baker Street Bazaar'', Marylebone, London . He was edu ...

. The prince stated: After being active for nearly half a century, the League ceased its work in 1947 on the creation of the National Health Service, its royal charter subsequently surrendered.

Presidents

The presidents of the original League were: * Edward, Prince of Wales * George, Prince of Wales * Edward, Prince of Wales *

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, (Henry William Frederick Albert; 31 March 1900 – 10 June 1974) was the third son and fourth child of King George V and Queen Mary. He served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 to 1947, the only memb ...

Badge of the Order of Mercy

The original badge of the order, awarded from 1899, was a red enamelled silver or silver gilt cross surmounted by the plumes of the Prince of Wales and with a central roundel bearing the crest of the League. The reverse is plain, save for the inscription “League of Mercy 1898” on the central roundel. It was awarded for at least five years distinguished and unpaid personal service to the League in support of charity hospitals, or in the relief of suffering, poverty or distress. A bar for a second award was introduced in 1917. The Order ceased to be awarded after 1946, and the League itself closed in 1947. In the United Kingdom, the pre-1947 Badge comes after the

Service Medal of the Order of St John The Service Medal of the Order of St John is awarded to recognise both conspicuous and long service with the Venerable Order of St John, particularly in St John Ambulance, both in the United Kingdom and in a number of other Commonwealth countr ...

and before the

Voluntary Medical Service Medal The Voluntary Medical Service Medal is a medal awarded by St Andrew's First Aid and formerly by the British Red Cross. It was instituted in 1932 at the direction of George V. Criteria To qualify for the medal, a member must accrue fifteen year ...

in the order precedence.

League of Mercy Foundation

Order of the League of Mercy, post 1999 version

The League of Mercy Foundation was established as a charity on 30 March 1999, exactly 100 years after the founding of the original League. Its role is to recognise and encourage those who undertake voluntary work in the care of people who are sick, vulnerable or homeless. Other than having the same name, there is no formal connection between the original League of Mercy and the foundation. The foundation re-established the Order of Mercy with a similar medal design, but in silver gilt and without enamel or the Prince of Wales's plumes. The reverse follows the earlier version, but now shows the year “1999”. A special Companion's Badge was also created to reward wider humanitarian work. This has red enamel, similar to the original badge, and is worn around the neck. The restored League established an annual award ceremony in which approximately 50 people are awarded the Order of Mercy, "as a reward for personal services gratuitously rendered in connection with the purposes for which the League was established." The Medal of the Order of the League of Mercy (OLM) and Companion's Badge of the Order of the League of Mercy are awarded each year at the Mansion House in London with awards appearing in the

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The Badge of the Order of the League of Mercy is part of the official Order of Wear of the United Kingdom, but this only applies to awards made prior to June 1947 when the League's royal charter was surrendered. Recipients are predominately chosen from long-serving community volunteers in the UK, but recipients have also included heads of former ruling houses, including Prince David Bagrationi of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

,The Royal House of Georgia. ''Prince David receives the Grand Companion's Badge of the Order of Mercy''.
/ref> and

Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro (born 24 February 1963) is one of the two claimants to the headship of the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Early life Prince Carlo was born at Saint-Raphaël, Var, France, as the only son ...

Bourbon-Two Sicilies The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, Spanish Bourbons that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descends from the Capetian dynasty in legitimate ma ...

,Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies. ''Duke of Castro receives the Companion’s Badge of the League of Mercy''.
/ref> who have received the higher grade of Companion of the Order of Mercy and, in return, have bestowed dynastic orders upon the League's president. Professor Alan Roberts, OBE, TD, a former pro-chancellor of

Leeds University , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

and cadet-commandant of Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, was appointed a Companion of the Order of Mercy in 2002, having previously received an honorary doctorate from

Brunel University Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June 1 ...

, whose pro-chancellor is Lord Lingfield. Professor Roberts also serves as gentleman usher of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, whose Knight Principal is Lord Lingfield. Other recipients include Thomas Balchin, Lord Lingfield's son, who also serves as secretary to the council of the League of Mercy, and Anthony Bailey, OBE.

Legitimacy

The League of Mercy Foundation claims to be the legitimate successor of the original League, however lacks official approval from the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

. In the United Kingdom, where legitimacy of any particular order is determined by the monarch – some societies have permission from the monarch to award medals, but these are to be worn on the right side of the chest. No UK citizen may accept and wear an award without the sovereign's permission. Moreover, the government is explicit that permission for foreign awards conferred by private societies or institutions will not be granted.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website of the League of Mercy Foundation
1899 establishments in the United Kingdom 1999 establishments in the United Kingdom Health charities in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1899 Organizations established in 1999 Self-styled orders