![The Elizabeth Cross MOD 45152211](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/The_Elizabeth_Cross_MOD_45152211.jpg)
The Elizabeth Cross is a form of recognition given to the recognised
next of kin
A person's next of kin (NOK) are that person's closest living blood relatives. Some countries, such as the United States, have a legal definition of "next of kin". In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, "next of kin" may have no legal d ...
of members of the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
It bears the name of the late
British monarch
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...
, Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
.
Appearance
Designed by Dayna White of Birmingham jewellers
Gladman & Norman Ltd
Gladman & Norman is a private limited company in the United Kingdom that is known for manufacturing awards and insignias.
Company Background
The company was founded in 1910 by two friends, Alfred Gladman and Samuel Norman who met at the School ...
, the award is made of
sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.
''Fine silver'', which is 99.9% pure silver, is r ...
in the shape of a cross backed by a representation of a
laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a sy ...
, and carries floral emblems of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales,
an appearance similar to the earlier Canadian
Memorial Cross, awarded since 1919. The trial crosses, and the first few to be issued, were made by Gladman & Norman;
the company was awarded the long-term production contract in October 2009. From May 2018 the contract to manufacture the cross passed to
Worcestershire Medal Service
Worcestershire Medal Service, Ltd., established in 1988, is a manufacturer of State honours and insignia. Established in 1988, they were granted a Royal Warrant as Medallists to Elizabeth II in 2008. Working with the Ministry of Defence to assis ...
.
Families receive a large version of the cross, and a pin-on miniature,
together with a Memorial Scroll signed by The Queen which bears the name of the person who died.
The scroll bears the words:
The words were chosen by the previous
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
,
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...
, and approved by the
Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...
Sir Jock Stirrup and the
three service chiefs.
Institution and related awards
The award was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 July 2009, but eligibility is retrospective to deaths from the end of the Second World War.[ Previously, for those who died in the ]First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
relatives were presented with a memorial scroll and bronze plaque, and for Second World War and Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
deaths, relatives received a scroll. The creation of the award was announced in a written statement to the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
by Secretary of State for Defence
The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...
Bob Ainsworth on 1 July, and also in a broadcast on the British Forces Broadcasting Service
The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides radio and television programmes for His Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. Editorial control is independent of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces themselv ...
made by the Queen. The idea for a new award was first approved on 10 June 2008, and it was expected that the details would be confirmed later that year.
The formal Royal Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual
The royal sign-manual is the signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive act (for example, an appointmen ...
establishing the Elizabeth Cross, dated 1 July 2009, was gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
on 31 July 2009. Among other things, the Royal Warrant states that relatives of members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
will also be eligible to receive the award.
Award and eligibility
The first crosses were issued by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office at Imjin Barracks
Imjin Barracks is a military installation situated near Innsworth in Gloucestershire that is home to NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).
The Barracks were named after the Battle of the Imjin River because of the connection with the Glo ...
, Innsworth
Innsworth is a suburb of Gloucester, it is also a civil parish and forms part of the borough of Tewkesbury, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The parish population taken at the 2011 census was 2,468.
It contains Imjin Barracks, the h ...
on 1 August 2009.
Next of kin have the choice of a public presentation by the local Lord Lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...
or a senior officer, or a private ceremony. Only the recognised next of kin receive the cross and miniature, but other relatives are able to request the issue of additional scrolls. Awards for those killed since 2000 are processed automatically by the Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, relatives of those killed earlier have to contact the MoD themselves. Relatives of those killed in Korea will already have received a scroll, so are presented with the cross only.[
The first public presentation of an Elizabeth Cross was on 18 August 2009 in a ceremony at ]Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 13,000 in 2017 and covering over 2,400 acres (about 10& ...
. It was awarded to Karen Upton, the widow of Warrant Officer Sean Upton who was killed while on active service in Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
, Afghanistan. It was presented by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire
The position of Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire was created on 1 April 1974.
Since 1996 the position has included the areas south of the River Tees in the former county of Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a ...
, the Lord Crathorne, and the Master Gunner, St. James's Park
The Master Gunner St James’s Park’s appointment goes back to 1678 and has generally been held by a senior officer in the Royal Artillery. The early incumbents (known then as the Master Gunner of Whitehall & St James's Park) were responsible f ...
, General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman.
The first presentations of the Elizabeth Cross to be made personally by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 12 September 2009.
The precise eligibility requirements issued by the Ministry of Defence are:
The service must have been undertaken on or after 1 January 1948 in general, or after 27 September 1945 in Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
(other personnel from 1945 to 1947 were officially recognised as serving in the Second World War).
In accordance with the Royal Warrant establishing the Elizabeth Cross, it is awarded upon recommendation made to the Queen by the Secretary of State for Defence. Thus, the judgement concerning the fulfilment of the eligibility requirements in any particular case is made by the Ministry of Defence, and the formal award of the Elizabeth Cross is ordered by the Queen upon the advice of the Defence Secretary. As directed by the Royal Warrant, the names of all those who are commemorated with the award of the Elizabeth Cross are recorded in a Registry kept by the Ministry of Defence.
Also in accordance with the Royal Warrant that established the Elizabeth Cross, the Cross and its miniature version may be worn by the recipient (i.e., the deceased's designated next of kin) at that person's discretion. In 2010, regulations were approved by the Queen dealing with the scenario of the designated next of kin of the deceased being himself or herself a member of the Armed Forces, and therefore making provision for the use of the Elizabeth Cross in military uniform. Under those regulations, the Elizabeth Cross can be worn on the right side of uniforms whenever other medals are worn if the recipient so chooses.
The Ulster Defence Regiment CGC
Successful applications
Up to May 2010, 232 Elizabeth Crosses and Memorial Scrolls have been issued to the families of The Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...
CGC personnel whose deaths are officially attributed to their military service.
Failed applications
Up to November 2010, 37 applications linked to The Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...
CGC for the Elizabeth Cross have failed due to the following reasons:
* 22 died of natural causes whilst off duty
* 7 were killed in road accidents whilst off duty
* 4 were accidental deaths whilst off duty
* 2 died outside the Northern Ireland operational area
A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations may ...
* 2 died after they were discharged from service.
New Zealand Memorial Cross
Since the Second World War New Zealand has similarly issued a cross to the relatives of those killed on active service. The New Zealand Memorial Cross was recently awarded to the family of the late Lt. Tim O'Donnell DSD as well as other soldiers' families who had served in Afghanistan.NZDF Medals
NZDF
See also
* List of wound decorations
This list of wound decorations is an index of articles that describe notable awards given for wounds; usually, though not exclusively, to military personnel during wartime.
See also
* Lists of awards
* List of military decorations
* Wound st ...
* Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
* George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elizabeth Cross
Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom
Wound decorations
Elizabeth II
Awards established in 2009