King Edward VII Police Coronation Medal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Edward VII’s Police Coronation Medal |
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.jpg) .jpg) Obverse and reverse: Metropolitan Police version.
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| Presented by | United Kingdom |
The Police Coronation Medal was a special award created in 1902. It was given to police officers, firefighters, and ambulance workers. These brave people were on duty in London during the official celebrations for the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. A coronation is a big ceremony where a new king or queen is officially crowned. This particular coronation happened on 9 August 1902.
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About the Medal
This medal continued a tradition of giving special awards to police and support services. This tradition started with Queen Victoria's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Police Medals. The Police Coronation Medal came in two types: silver and bronze.
- Silver medals were given to higher-ranking officers. This included superintendents and those above them in the police and fire brigade.
- Bronze medals were given to other ranks.
In total, 67 silver medals and 19,885 bronze medals were awarded. The back of the medal showed which service the person belonged to. There were five different versions for different groups:
- Metropolitan Police: 51 silver, 16,709 bronze medals. This was London's main police force.
- City of London Police: 5 silver, 1,060 bronze medals. This force covered the historic heart of London.
- L.C.C. M.F.B. (London County Council Metropolitan Fire Brigade): 10 silver and 1,000 bronze medals. This was London's fire service.
- St John Ambulance Brigade: 912 bronze medals. This group provided first aid and ambulance services.
- Police Ambulance Service: 1 silver, 204 bronze medals.
What the Medal Looks Like
The medal was about 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) across. It was designed by a person named George William de Saulles.
- Front (Obverse): It showed a crowned King Edward VII facing left. Around the edge, it said "EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR" (Edward VII King Emperor).
- Back (Reverse): This side featured the Imperial Crown. It rested on branches of oak and laurel, which are symbols of strength and victory. Below this, it said "CORONATION OF HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII 1902". Above this text, the name of the service the person belonged to was written.
- Ribbon: The ribbon was about 3.2 centimeters (1.25 inches) wide. It was red with a thin blue stripe in the middle.
- Engraving: The rank, name, and police division of the person who received the medal were carved onto its edge.
- How it was Worn: People wore this medal with other royal medals. Until 1918, these medals were worn before medals given for military campaigns. After 1918, they were worn after campaign medals but before long service awards.
Famous People Who Received the Medal
Some important people received this medal.
Silver Medal Recipients
- Colonel Sir Edward Bradford: He was the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, meaning he was in charge of London's main police force.
- Alexander Bruce: An Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
- Edward Henry: Another Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, specifically for crime.
- Sir Charles Howard: Also an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
- William Nott-Bower: He was the Commissioner of the City of London Police.
- Frederick Wodehouse: An Assistant Commissioner of the City of London Police.
Bronze Medal Recipients
- Dr Belgrave Ninnis: He was a Deputy Commissioner for the St John Ambulance Brigade in London.
- Frederick Wensley: A detective sergeant in the Metropolitan Police. He later became a very important police chief at Scotland Yard.
King Edward VII Police Medal (Scotland), 1903
This medal is also known as the Visit to Scotland Medal. It was given to members of the Scottish Police and other support services. They were on duty during the celebrations for the King's visit to Scotland in May 1903, which happened after his coronation.
This Scottish medal looks almost exactly like the 1902 Police Coronation Medal. However, the back of the medal says "FROM HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII 1903" with "SCOTTISH POLICE" above it. The ribbon is plain red, without the blue stripe found on the 1902 medal. It also has a fancy bar at the top decorated with a thistle, which is Scotland's national flower. A total of 2,957 of these medals were given out, all of them in bronze.
