Soldiers and emergency services staff among 400,000 people to be awarded special coronation medal

Soldiers and emergency services are among more than 400,000 in line to be awarded a medal for their efforts to support King Charles’ coronation.

The special Coronation Medal will be given to everyone actively contributing to and supporting the historic royal event on Saturday (6 May), including police officers, choristers, military personnel and ambulance workers.

The medals are a gift from the nation to commemorate the coronation for the people who will make the service happen this weekend, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

Made of nickel silver, the medals feature a portrait of King Charles and the Queen Consort on one side, while the other features the royal cypher, a laurel wreath and the date of the coronation. The ribbon is made up of red, blue and white vertical stripes.

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.

“From our armed forces who protect our country to the emergency services who care for us at home, alongside those volunteers who are giving up their time to make this event so special, I am delighted that we can mark their contribution to this special day, and for each and every day that they go above and beyond serving their country.”

Serving members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and armed forces who have completed five full years of service will also receive the medal, as well as living individual recipients of the George Cross or of the Victoria Cross.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the coronation “would not be possible without the dedication and selfless service” shown by members of the armed forces and other public servants, and it will serve as a “fitting recognition of their efforts and a thank you from the nation”.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman added: “This medal is a symbol of the critical role our emergency services will play in this potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honour our new King.

“However, it rightly also goes further and recognises not just those who are helping at the coronation, but the heroes across our emergency services, such as the police, fire and rescue services, that go to work every day to protect and support us all.”

The first coronation medal was awarded in 1603, under the reign of King James I. It comes as preparations continue ahead of the ceremony on Saturday, with royal fans already camped out near Buckingham Palace to secure the best viewing spot.

Around 100 heads of state, representatives from 200 countries and thousands of visitors are due to descend on London to witness the UK’s first coronation since the crowning of Elizabeth II 70 years ago.

King Charles will meet with President of Ireland Michael D Higgins on Friday night (5 May) as guests attend a reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the coronation ceremony in London. It will be the ninth occasion the two heads of state have met and continues a long-standing friendship between the two.

The Irish premier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, is also expected to attend the coronation and political leaders from Northern Ireland have also been invited. Among those who will attend is Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill in another demonstration of the markedly improved relations between the republican movement and the royal family since the peace process.