Dragon Parade Clinic

Image: © Gordon Hatton Taken: 11 Feb 2015

This building, now a local health authority clinic has an interesting history from about 100 years ago when it became a hospital for wounded servicemen during the first world war. In 1914, Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Maria Georgievina Romanova better known as Grand Duchess George of Russia, or even 'Greek Minnie', was visiting Harrogate, then the premier spa in Britain, with her daughter Xenia who had health problems and was receiving treatment at the spa. When was broke out she found herself unable to return to Russia and so decided to 'do her bit' for the war effort by funding hospitals in Harrogate for the treatment of wounded 'tommies'. This building, along with others in the town became one of her hospitals, and it is said that around 100,000 servicemen were treated in Harrogate during WW1. A memorial cross on the Stray records that during this time only 9 servicemen failed to respond to treatment and died in one of the Duchess's hospitals. The duchess was not just the benefactor, but was also involved in the care of the wounded, becoming a qualified Red Cross nurse and even catching lice off one of the men. Unable to return to Russia after the war following the revolution there, she became a widow in 1919 when her husband, the Grand Duke George Mikhalovich was murdered by the Bolsheviks and eventually moved to Rome and then to Athens, where she died in 1940. The duchess was aunt to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0