[4] The National Army Museum was first conceived in the late 1950s, and owes its existence to the persistent hard work of Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer, who did most of the fundraising for it.

[5] It was established by Royal Charter in 1960, with the intention of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting objects and records relating to the Regular and Auxiliary forces of the British Army and of the Commonwealth, and to encourage research into their history and traditions.

[7] A new purpose-built building, designed in brutalist style by William Holford & Partners, was started in 1961 on a site which had previously formed part of the old infirmary of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

[18] Dugdale also stated that the new design would be an "immersive experience", allowing visitors to ride simulated tanks, load rifles and understand war tactics in a technology-driven 3D environment.

[19] Whilst much public response to the revamp was positive, in an article in The Spectator, historian and Museum trustee Andrew Roberts severely criticised the new displays, stating: "Instead of seeing artefacts in a historical context, as part of a chronological narrative, the visitor is forced to explore themes, and as ever this has provided an opening for guilt, apology and political correctness"; he also pointed to incorrect statements, and suggested a generalised dumbing-down, writing of medal displays: "we are not told in very many cases what they are or even who they were awarded to.

"[21] Maciejewski has explicitly rolled back on decolonisation and other attempts in the 2017 redisplay to deal with controversial aspects of the army's history,[22] despite concerns raised earlier in his tenure about a focus on improving gender diversity in the Museum's staff whilst the real issue lay in other kinds of diversity,[23] and about his January 2021 staff restructure, with concerns that it showed a "lack of consideration of professionalism and understanding of the core role of the museum as a public institution ensuring the preservation of history and exhibitions".