King Charles III Coronation Medal

The King Charles III Coronation Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023.

King Charles III
Coronation Medal
Reverse and obverse: United Kingdom version
TypeCommemorative medal
Awarded forCommunity contribution
Presented byKing Charles III
EligibilityCommonwealth citizens
Total10 (Australia)[note 1][citation needed]
1 (New Zealand)[note 1][citation needed]
400,000 (United Kingdom)
Ribbon bar (British version)

United Kingdom edit

Design edit

The medals are made of nickel silver. The obverse features a crowned effigy of the King and Queen facing left.

The reverse shows the Royal Cypher CIIIR surmounted by the Tudor Crown, a laurel wreath and the date of the coronation, 6 May 2023.

The medals were issued by Worcestershire Medal Service, with the effigy on the obverse face modelled by Martin Jennings.[1] The reverse was designed by Phil McDermott of the Worcestershire Medal Service.[citation needed]

Eligibility edit

In the United Kingdom, those who received the medal were:[2]

  • Individuals who actively contributed to the official Coronation events in Westminster Abbey and processions, and other officially recognised ceremonial Coronation events.
  • Serving members of the Armed Forces who had completed five full calendar years of service on 6 May 2023 or participated in Armed Forces Coronation events during the course of 2023.
  • Frontline emergency personnel who had been in paid service, retained or in a voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies as part of their conditions of service, and who had completed five full calendar years of service on 6 May 2023;
  • Publicly employed prison services personnel who had completed five full calendar years of service on 6 May 2023.
  • Living individual recipients of the George Cross and of the Victoria Cross.[2]

More than 400,000 medals were awarded.[3]

Canada edit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on 3 May 2023 that 30,000 coronation medals would be produced to honour Canadians who made significant contributions to the country, a province, territory, region, or community, or achieved abroad in a way that brought credit to Canada.[4][5] The design of the Canadian medal, as well as any clarification on who the program partners will be,[6] has yet to be released.[7][8] Excerpting from a CBC News: Politics report, the Monarchist League of Canada claimed the delay has been caused by two coinciding matters: disagreement between the King and his Cabinet over the inclusion of Queen Camilla's effigy on the medal’s obverse (the ministers arguing the Queen should be excluded, as she is not part of the Order of Precedence and does not have a constitutional role) and the resignation of the Governor General's private secretary, an office that plays a significant part in the creation of honours.[6]

The Canadian Heritage Mint (a private company) created and sold coronation medallions designed by Susan Taylor, a former senior engraver at the Royal Canadian Mint, and approved by Charles III.[9][10]

Australia edit

In Australia coronation and jubilee medals are administered by the United Kingdom, and are awarded as a personal gift of the Sovereign.[11] Living Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross, Victoria Cross for Australia, George Cross and Cross of Valour received the medals in line with the eligibility issued by the United Kingdom.

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Recipients of the Victoria Cross, George Cross, Cross of Valour.

References edit

  1. ^ "The Coronation Medal 2023". Orders & Medals Research Society Journal. 62 (3): 201. September 2023. ISSN 1474-3353.
  2. ^ a b "Coronation Medal to go to Armed Forces and frontline emergency service workers". GOV.UK. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  3. ^ "Frontline workers to receive Coronation medal". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ^ Prime Minister announces Canadian delegation to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, 3 May 2023, retrieved 3 May 2023
  5. ^ Government of Canada, Celebrating His Majesty’s Coronation, King's Printer for Canada, retrieved 3 October 2023
  6. ^ a b CBC News, "Whatever Happened to the Coronation Medal?" (PDF), Canadian Monarchist News (Autumn 2023, No. 56), Monarchist League of Canada: 3, retrieved 9 March 2024
  7. ^ Prime Minister announces Canadian delegation to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, 3 May 2023, retrieved 3 May 2023
  8. ^ Government of Canada, Celebrating His Majesty’s Coronation, King's Printer for Canada, retrieved 3 October 2023
  9. ^ Canadian Coin and Currency Corp (2 May 2023), Canadian Coronation Medallion Approved by King Charles III, CISION, retrieved 4 March 2024
  10. ^ CNW Group (2 May 2023), Canadian Coronation Medallion Approved by King Charles III, Yahoo! Finance, retrieved 4 March 2024
  11. ^ "The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards". Australian Government - Department of Defence. Australian Government. Retrieved 21 November 2023.

External links edit