Description

Christmas Message ‘The Angel of Pity’ from Queen Alexandra to Nurses of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service – 1914.

On the first Christmas of World War One the President of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, Princess Alexandra, sent this message to all QAs serving in France:

As the president of all the Nurses in de British Empire, I am most anxious to express to every individual Nurse my heartfelt and grateful appreciation of their unselfish devotion and patriotism in ministering to, and relieving the suffering of, our brave and gallant soldiers and sailors who are fighting for their King and Country.
With the whole nation I wish to convey to our invaluable Nurses the undying debt of gratitude we owe them. Signed Alexandra

The Christmas message was sent on a postcard with a photograph of Princess Alexandra at the top of the card. As can be seen in the attached photos. The main picture was of an image of an angel overlooking the painting of a QA Sister caring for a wounded soldier lying on a bed with a head wound. The card was signed by Princess Alexandra. The angel is named as the Angel of Pity. The photographs attached are much like the one sent to the QAs, though the nurse in the photo was of a QA Nursing Officer in veil and red cape.

The message has the size of 30.5 x 23 cm.