Room of the Royal Pavilion as a Hospital

From 1914 to February 1916 the Royal Pavilion was used as a hospital for the Indian CorpsIn this painting, Brighton-based artist Charles Burleigh (1869-1956) has depicted an important if practically forgotten chapter in Brighton's history. The work recalls how the Royal Pavilion was converted into a hospital for Indian soldiers wounded on the Western Front during the First World War.

More than 4,000 patients received treatment at the Pavilion estate. At the Pavilion every attempt was made to accommodate the religious beliefs of the troops from Britain's Indian Empire. There were separate water supplies for Hindus and Muslims, and the wounded were cared for by orderlies of the same caste or religion. The events at the Royal Pavilion were reported colourfully in the "Brighton Herald", 1914:

'There can be few stranger chapters in the history of England than that which is being written in Brighton...This royal Oriental palace is now occupied by the Oriental troops of the King-Emperor.' (George V).

From 1914 to February 1916 the Royal Pavilion was used as a hospital for the Indian Corps