King Charles III Coronation Medal#Canada

{{Short description|Commemorative medal awarded by the King}}

{{Infobox award

| name = King Charles III
Coronation Medal

| image = Coronation Medal.jpg

| caption = Reverse and obverse (British medal)

| presenter = King Charles III

| type = Commemorative medal

| awarded_for = Community contribution

| total_awarded = More than 400,000 British medals{{cite news |title=Frontline workers to receive Coronation medal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65489760 |access-date=5 May 2023 |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2023}}{{notetag|British medals were awards administered by the United Kingdom, although were also awarded to other nationals, including Australians,{{cite web|url=https://www.govhouse.qld.gov.au/the-governor-of-queensland/speeches/king-charles-iii-coronation-medal-presentation|title=King Charles III Coronation Medal Presentation|publisher=Government House Queensland|website=www.govhouse.qld.gov.au|date=2 May 2024|access-date=4 August 2024}} Canadians,{{cite web|url=https://www.cmfmag.ca/policy/the-chief-of-the-defence-staff-announces-king-charles-iiis-coronation-medal/|title=The Chief of the Defence Staff Announces King Charles III's Coronation Medal|date=12 June 2024|publisher=Canadian Military Family Magazine|website=www.cmfmag.ca}} and New Zealanders.{{cite web|url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2024-05/dpmc-roia-oia-2023-24-0506.pdf|website=www.dpmc.govt.nz|title=Official Information Act request relating to information about King Charles III Coronation Medal|date=8 April 2024|access-date=23 July 2024|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet}}}}
30,000 Canadian medals

| year = 2023 (British medal)
2024 (Canadian medal)

| image2 = 90px

| caption2 = Ribbon bar

}}

{{Coronation of Charles III and Camilla}}

The King Charles III Coronation Medal ({{langx|fr|link=no|médaille du couronnement du roi Charles III}}) is a commemorative medal created to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, which took place on 6 May 2023.

The UK issued more than 400,000 coronation medals, awarded to individuals who contributed to the coronation, recipients of the UK's highest honours, and select British military personnel, frontline emergency workers, and public prison service staff with five years of service. The British coronation medal was also gifted to a select number of Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders.

Canada issued 30,000 coronation medals, awarding them to select members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Public Service, as well as individuals who made significant contributions to the country or achieved accomplishments that brought credit to Canada.

The British and Canadian medals are both made of nickel silver and have identical ribbons. However, the two medal designs differ. The British medal features effigies of both the King and Queen (left profiles), while the Canadian medal only features the King (right profile). On the reverse, the British medal has laurels, the royal cypher, and the Tudor Crown, whereas the Canadian medal displays the royal cypher with the Canadian Royal Crown over a sunburst design.

British medal

=Design=

The medals are made of nickel silver and were issued by Worcestershire Medal Service. The effigy on the obverse face designed by Martin Jennings,{{cite journal |date=September 2023 |title=The Coronation Medal 2023|page=201|journal=Orders & Medals Research Society Journal|volume=62 |issue=3|issn=1474-3353}} while the reverse was designed by Phil McDermott of the Worcestershire Medal Service.{{cite news |title=Coronation Medal to go to Armed Forces and frontline emergency service workers |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronation-medal-to-go-to-armed-forces-and-frontline-emergency-service-workers |access-date=5 May 2023 |date=5 May 2023 |work=GOV.UK |language=en}}

The obverse features a crowned effigy of the King Charles III and Queen Camilla facing left. The reverse shows the royal cypher {{serif|C{{sc|III}}R}} surmounted by the Tudor Crown, a laurel wreath and the date of the coronation, 6 May 2023.

The medal's ribbon is {{convert|32|mm|inch}} in width and includes a red stripe in the centre, with white stripes on each side, followed by dark blue stripes, and then red edge stripes. The design of the ribbon is inspired by the ribbon used for the 1902 King Edward VII Coronation Medal. The ribbon is one of the few design elements which are identical between the British and Canadian medals.{{cite web|title=King Charles III's Coronation Medal|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/medals/medals-chart-index/king-charles-iiis-coronation-medal.html|date=12 May 2024|work=Government of Canada}}

= Eligibility =

More than 400,000 medals were distributed. Those who received the medal include:{{cite news |title=Coronation Medal to go to Armed Forces and frontline emergency service workers |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronation-medal-to-go-to-armed-forces-and-frontline-emergency-service-workers |access-date=5 May 2023 |date=5 May 2023 |work=GOV.UK |language=en}} 30px Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright.

  • 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.

==Australians==

Several Australians were awarded the British coronation medal as a personal gift from the King.{{cite web |title=The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/Order_of_wearing.pdf|website=Australian Government - Department of Defence |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=25 December 2024}} Its conferment was an act by Buckingham Palace and is not a decision made by the Australian Government,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/29/decision-to-award-ben-roberts-smith-extra-medal-made-by-king-charles-not-australia-albanese-says|title=Decision to award Ben Roberts-Smith extra medal made by King Charles, not Australia, Albanese says|publisher=Guardian News & Media|date=29 June 2024|access-date=11 August 2024|last=Kelly|first=Cait}}{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/wa-governor-hosts-ben-roberts-smith-to-receive-medal-from-the-king-20240628-p5jpj7.html|website=www.smh.com.au|publisher=Nine Entertainment Co.|last1=McKenzie|first1=Nick|last2=Burton|first2=Jesinta|last3=Thompson|first3=Holly|date=29 June 2024|access-date=11 August 2024|title=WA governor hosts Ben Roberts-Smith as he receives medal from the King}} in line with the practice for all past coronation and jubilee medals awarded to Australians.

The medal was awarded to ten Australians, each of whom had previously been awarded one of Australia's highest honours, namely the Victoria Cross, Victoria Cross for Australia, George Cross, or Cross of Valour.{{cite web |title=Governor presents the King Charles III Coronation Medal |url=https://twitter.com/QldGovernor/status/1785829055646020026 |website=X |publisher=Governor of Queensland |access-date=7 May 2024}} Among the recipients was Ben Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross for Australia recipient, who lost a 2023 civil defamation trial in which the court found that newspapers had successfully proven, on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities, that he was complicit in the murder of four unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan. Three of the initial recipients were presented the medal at Government House, Brisbane on 2 May 2024. Another presentation ceremony for these recipients also took place at Government House, Perth on 27 June 2024.

The 60 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who participated in the King’s coronation procession to Buckingham Palace were also awarded the medal.{{cite web|url=https://www.dva.gov.au/newsroom/vetaffairs/vetaffairs-vol-40-no3-december-2024/defence-news|title=Defence News|date=13 December 2024|website=www.dva.gov.au|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=29 December 2024}} Additional ADF personnel were presented the medal by the British High Commissioner to Australia, Victoria Treadell, during a ceremony in November 2024.{{cite web |title=7 November 2024 - Australia's Federation Guard welcomed Her Excellency Victoria Treadell |url=https://www.facebook.com/AustraliaFederationGuard/posts/pfbid0JJZAEGcB6uZ7GgXNKM4cdc6fk9Tmx1CSgqyrLpStJgV8HyvqguBwduTNrajtSaALl |website=Facebook |publisher=Department of Defence |access-date=14 November 2024}}

==Canadians==

Members of the Canadian Coronation Contingent who took part in the coronation events in London were awarded the British coronation medal, having been approved for wear by Canada. Contingent members who received the British coronation medal are ineligible to be nominated for the Canadian coronation medal.

==New Zealanders==

Some New Zealanders were awarded the medal. The decision to award the medal is made by the United Kingdom, although New Zealanders requires the approval of the prime minister of New Zealand to wear the medal, as the British medal is considered a foreign honour in New Zealand.{{cite web|url=https://fyi.org.nz/request/21509-king-charles-iii-s-coronation-medal|title=King Charles III's coronation medal|website=fyi.org.nz|publisher=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=4 August 2024|year=2023}} However, it is listed in New Zealand's official order of wear.{{cite web |

url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/new-zealand-royal-honours/honours-lists-and-recipients/information-honours-recipients/order-of-wear-orders-decorations-medals-in-new-zealand|title=Order of Wear: Orders, Decorations and Medals in New Zealand|date=3 May 2024|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand|accessdate=8 May 2024}}

The New Zealand Government did not issue its own medal. Responding to a Official Information Act request, the Clerk to the Executive Council of New Zealand noted that New Zealand hadn't issued medals to mark royal occasions in "recent times", primarily due to cost and difficulty in administering a domestic medal programme.

=History=

The British coronation medal was announced on 5 May 2023, the day before the coronation.

The Scottish Government initially stated they would not help fund the British coronation medal. However, the government reversed its decision in October 2023, agreeing to help fund its cost for all eligible Scots. The estimated cost to provide all eligible Scots the medal was £200,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/scottish-government-avoids-row-emergency-8814886|title=Scottish Government avoids row with emergency services over royal medal fund|last=Rodger|first=Hannah|date=8 October 2023|access-date=8 August 2024|website=www.aberdeenlive.news|publisher=Aberdeen Live}}

Canadian medal

File:King Charles III Coronation Medal (Canada).jpg of the Canadian medal]]

The Canadian medal was the first domestic commemorative medal to mark a coronation.{{notetag|The last coronation medal awarded in Canada before the creation of the King Charles III Coronation Medal was the 1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, which was struck by the British Royal Mint in the United Kingdom.{{cite book|title=Commemorative Medals of The Queen's Reign in Canada, 1952–2012|publisher=Dundurn Press|year=2012|last=McCreery|first=Christopher|isbn=9781459707573|page=53}}}} The Chancellery of Honours of the Office to the Secretary to the Governor General was responsible for administering the medal on behalf of the government of Canada.{{cite web|url=https://raic.org/news/king-charles-iii-coronation-medal|title=The King Charles III Coronation Medal|website=raic.org|publisher=Royal Architectural Institute of Canada|year=2024|access-date=11 August 2024}} The medals were manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint.

=Design=

The medal was designed by the Fraser Herald of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, Cathy Bursey-Sabourin. The medal is made out of nickel silver and is coloured silver, with a diameter of {{convert|32|mm|inch}}, and with a ring suspension.

The obverse features a crowned and robed effigy of the King facing right, circumscribed by the inscription "CHARLES III DEI GRATIA REX • CANADA" (Latin: "Charles III, by the Grace of God, King • Canada"). The reverse shows the royal cypher {{serif|C{{sc|III}}R}} surmounted by the Canadian Royal Crown, over the sunburst design of the Canadian coronation emblem. The date of the coronation is inscribed to the left of the cypher and the words VIVAT REX (Latin: Long Live The King) to its right.

The medal's ribbon design is identical to the British coronation medal, using a dark blue, bright red, and white arrangement.

=Eligibility=

The medal was awarded to 30,000 individuals, including 4,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and 1,000 Public Service employees, including those in the Department of National Defence.{{cite web|title=Nominations are now open! Coronation Medal to recognize Defence Team members|work=Government of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/maple-leaf/defence/2024/05/nominations-open-coronation-medal-recognize-defence-team-members.html|date=6 May 2024}} A further 1,300 were allocated to members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.{{cite journal |date= March 2025 |title=King Charles III Coronation Medal (Canada) |page=38 |journal=Orders & Medals Research Society Journal|volume=64 |issue=1 |issn=1474-3353}}

Partner organizations chosen by the government of Canada nominated and presented medals to individuals meeting the medal's eligibility criteria. To be eligible for the Canadian medal, a person must:{{cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/directory-honours/commemorative-medals/king-charles-iii-coronation-medal|work=Governor General of Canada|title=King Charles III Coronation Medal|date=7 March 2024 |access-date=12 May 2024}}

  • have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region of, or community in, Canada, or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada; and
  • have been alive on 6 May 2023, the date of the Coronation.

There was no requirement for the recipient to be a Canadian citizen.

=History=

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the coronation medal program on 3 May 2023 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.{{citation| url=https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/05/03/prime-minister-announces-canadian-delegation-coronation-his-majesty| title=Prime Minister announces Canadian delegation to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III| date=3 May 2023| publisher=Office of the Prime Minister of Canada| accessdate=3 May 2023}}{{citation| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/coronation-his-majesty-king-canada/celebrate.html| author=Government of Canada| title=Celebrating His Majesty's Coronation| date=16 March 2023| publisher=King's Printer for Canada| accessdate=3 October 2023}} However, little update was provided for the rest of 2023 concerning the status of the medal program.{{citation| url=https://www.monarchist.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CMN_Autumn_2023.pdf| author=CBC News| title=Whatever Happened to the Coronation Medal?| journal=Canadian Monarchist News| page=3| issue=Autumn 2023, No. 56| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| accessdate=9 March 2024}}{{citation| url=https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/05/03/prime-minister-announces-canadian-delegation-coronation-his-majesty| title=Prime Minister announces Canadian delegation to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III| date=3 May 2023| publisher=Office of the Prime Minister of Canada| accessdate=3 May 2023}}{{citation| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/coronation-his-majesty-king-canada/celebrate.html| author=Government of Canada| title=Celebrating His Majesty's Coronation| date=16 March 2023| publisher=King's Printer for Canada| accessdate=3 October 2023}}

Excerpting from a CBC News: Politics report, the Monarchist League of Canada claimed the delay in the medal program was due to two coinciding issues. First, there was a disagreement between the King and his Canadian Cabinet over whether Queen Camilla's effigy should appear on the medal's obverse, with the Cabinet arguing against her inclusion due to her absence from the Canadian order of precedence and the Queen not having a constitutional role. Second, the resignation of the secretary to the governor general, whose office manages the medal program, contributed to the delay.

The medal was eventually unveiled on 6 May 2024, on the first anniversary of the coronation. Governor General Mary Simon hosted a virtual ceremony to present the inaugural medals to lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners across Canada.{{cite web|work=Governor General of Canada|date=6 May 2024|title=Governor General hosts inaugural presentation of King Charles III Coronation Medal|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/media/news/2024/king-charles-III-coronation-medal}} On the same day, some lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners also held presentations in their province or territory, which included the first military recipients of the medal.{{cite web|title=Nova Scotians Receive Coronation Medal|url=https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/05/06/nova-scotians-receive-coronation-medal|date=6 May 2024|work=Government of Nova Scotia}}{{cite web|work=Government of Yukon|url=https://yukon.ca/en/news/commissioner-yukon-honours-outstanding-yukoners-king-charles-lll-coronation-medals|title=Commissioner of Yukon honours outstanding Yukoners with King Charles III Coronation Medals|date=6 May 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sasktoday.ca/south/carlyle-observer/famed-sask-artist-among-first-to-receive-prestigious-honour-8717564|title=Famed Sask artist among first to receive prestigious honour|date=8 May 2024|work=SaskToday.ca}}

Precedence in each realm

Some orders of precedence are as follows:

border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background:white; border: 1px #01796F solid; border-collapse: collapse; width:100%"
bgcolor="white"

| align="center"| Country

align="center"| Precedingalign="center"| Following
bgcolor="#A9A9A9" | {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia
Order of precedence

|Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

|80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal

bgcolor="#A9A9A9" | {{flagicon|CAN}} Canada
Order of precedence{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/medals/medals-chart-index.html|title=Canadian Medals Chart|date=6 August 2024|website=www.canada.ca|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=12 October 2024}}
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee MedalRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal
bgcolor="#A9A9A9" | {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealand

| rowspan="2" |Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

|New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal

bgcolor="#A9A9A9" | {{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom
Order of precedence{{citation| last=Directgov| title=Orders of Wear| publisher=UK Government}}
Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal

Notes

{{notefoot}}

References

{{Reflist}}