Queen's Jubilee Medal: All you need to know and military eligibility criteria
A new medal to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee is being awarded to serving members of the Armed Forces and recipients of the George and Victoria Cross.
The Platinum Jubilee medal, designed to thank its recipients for their public service, features a portrait of the Queen with the Latin inscription "Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fid Def", which translates to "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, defender of the faith".
The medals will also be given out to frontline emergency service workers, prison service staff and members of the Royal Household.
Who can receive a medal?
Those eligible for the medal will be notified and are not required to apply in order to receive it.
Among those eligible who will receive a medal include serving members of the Armed Forces who have completed five full calendar years of service by 6 February 2022 and members of frontline emergency services, whether paid or voluntary, who have completed the same half-decade of service by the anniversary of the Queen's accession.
Publicly employed prison services personnel who regularly deal with difficult situations are also eligible, as are all living recipients of the George Cross or the Victoria Cross.
The Platinum Jubilee Medal will also be presented to all members of the Royal Household with a year or more of qualifying service.
Full eligibility criteria
The Ministry of Defence has published full guidance on the eligibility rules for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal.
The Honours, Decorations and Medals instruction stated that the new medal must be worn immediately after operational service medals and before long-service and efficiency awards.
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal should not be worn until 3 June 2022, "unless at a Jubilee related parade in the presence of The Queen".
The eligible groups are:
- Regular personnel who have completed five full calendar years of service before or on 6 February 2022.
- Volunteer Reserve Forces who were in service on 6 February 2022, have completed five years of service and received five certificates of efficiency.
- MOD Emergency Services who were in effective paid MOD service on 6 February 2022 and have aggregated service of five years or more.
History behind the medal
Designed by Timothy Noad of the College of Arms, the medal is made of nickel silver and features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of the Queen on one side.
The reverse bears the image of the royal crest and the years of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee – 1952-2022.
Jubilee medals have a long history in Britain. During the Victorian period, the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign was commemorated in 1887 with a medal.
This continued when medals were also issued to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
The Queen marked the 70th anniversary of her reign on 6 February 2022, the first time a British monarch has ever reached that milestone.
She marked that date privately as it is also the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI.
The main celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee, however, will take place between 2 June and 5 June 2022.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries toured the Birmingham workshop where the medals are being made and said they were a "fitting tribute" and "everybody who is going to be awarded one of these can feel very privileged and honoured".
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