League of Mercy
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| Formation | 30 March 1899 |
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| Founder | Edward, Prince of Wales |
| Founded at | London |
| Purpose | To recruit volunteers for hospitals (initial) To reward distinguished voluntary service (today) |
| Headquarters | Surrey, |
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President
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Robert Balchin, Baron Lingfield |
| Website | leagueofmercy |
The League of Mercy is a British foundation established in 1899 by Royal Charter of Queen Victoria. The goal of the organisation was to recruit a large number of volunteers to aid the sick and suffering at charity hospitals, in the days prior to the establishment of the National Health Service.
The organisation today exists to recognize and reward volunteers.
The League was founded by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who served as its first president.
In 1888, Sir Everard Hambro chaired a committee established to consider several submitted plans and proposals on devising a badly needed organisation.
On 1 March 1899, the Prince of Wales chaired a meeting at Marlborough House to establish the charity and announce directives. A league president would be appointed for each Parliamentary division, and many were in attendance at the meeting, including the Duke of Westminster, the Marquess of Lorne, the Marquess of Camden, Earl Carrington, Earl of Clarendon, Earl of Dartmouth, Sir W. Hart Dyke, Sir Whittaker Ellis, Sir Arthur Hayter, Sir Fitzroy D. Maclean, Weetman Pearson and Edmund Boulnois.
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