Coronation Medal to go to Armed Forces and frontline emergency service workers

A newly designed Coronation Medal will be awarded to 400,000 members of the Armed Forces, frontline emergency service workers, and individuals actively contributing to The King’s Coronation on May 6th.

The Medal, unveiled by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, serves as a thank you gift from the nation to those who make the historic service possible.

Eligible recipients include choristers, police officers, military personnel, and St John Ambulance personnel involved in the Coronation, as well as serving frontline members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services, and armed forces who have completed five full calendar years of service.

The Medal features a double portrait of Their Majesties on the front and a version of the Royal Cypher, a laurel wreath, and the date of the Coronation on the reverse.

Made of nickel silver and plated in nickel, the ribbon consists of red, blue, and white vertical stripes, reflecting the colours of the Union Flag.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said, “The Coronation Medal will act as a reminder of the important part each person has played in this moment of history.”

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden added that the Medal is a “fitting recognition of their efforts, and a thank you from the nation.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman highlighted the Medal as a symbol of the critical role emergency services play in honouring the new King.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace underscored the unique bond between the Armed Forces and the Monarch, with the Coronation Medal celebrating that connection.

Designed by Martin Jennings, who also created the official effigy of The King for the Royal Mint’s new coins, the Coronation Medal is manufactured by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd in Birmingham.

The tradition of Coronation Medals dates to the reign of King James I when the first Medal was awarded in 1603.

This Medal featured a bust of James I wearing the costume of a Roman Emperor. Its reverse included a crowned lion rampant holding a beacon and a wheat sheaf.