THE Queen has awarded the George Cross to mark the 73rd anniversary of the formation of the NHS.
But who exactly has been awarded the George cross? Below is everything you need to know…
Who has been awarded the George Cross medal?
Marking the 73rd anniversary of its inception, the Queen awarded the NHS the George Cross on July 5, 2021.
The medal, which has only been awarded 480 times in history, recognises extraordinary acts of bravery in saving lives.
The honour is being given to the four health services in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and will be presented at a later date.
The Queen wrote: "It is with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that I award the George Cross to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom.
"This award recognises all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations.
"Collectively, over more than seven decades, they have supported the people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication, demonstrating the highest standards of public service.
"You have the enduring thanks and heartfelt appreciation of us all."
Who else has been awarded the George Cross?
Since the turn of the millennium, nine individuals have been awarded the George Cross.
Christopher Finney
Former British soldier of the Blue and Royals, Christopher Finney, was awarded the George Cross for the bravery under friendly fire during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
At the time, be became the youngest serviceman in the British Armed forces to receive such an award.
Peter Allen Norton
Major Peter Allen Norton is a retired ammunition technical officer with the British Army’s Royal Logistic Corps who was awarded the George Cross for his service in Iraq.
Peter lost his left leg, and part of his left arm after an explosive device went off.
Mark Wright
Mark Wright was posthumously awarded with the George Cross in December 2006.
Mark died in Afghanistan after entering a minefield in an attempt to save lives of other soldiers.
Matthew Croucher
Matthew Croucher is a member of the Royal Marines Reserves who was awarded the George Cross in July 2008.
He was recommended for the award after throwing himself on a grenade to save his comrades.
Kim Hughes
Kim Spencer Hughes is a British Army bomb disposal expert who was awarded the George Cross in March 2010.
During his tour of Afghanistan Hughes made safe 1999 explosive devices.
Olaf Schmid
Ola Schmid was a British bomb disposal expert killed in action in the Afghanistan conflict.
He was posthumously awarded the George Cross after he made safe 70 devices before his death in October 2009.
Samuel Shephard
Samuel Shepard is an officer in the Royal Marines.
He was awarded the George Cross in 2014 for his efforts to rescue a fellow officer during a diving exercise in Egypt the previous year.
Kevin Haberfield
Kevin Haberfield is a former Royal Marine.
He was awarded the George Cross in 2015 for his “services in the field” in Afghanistan in 2005.
Dominic Troulan
Dominic Troulan is a retired British Army officer and former Royal Marine who was awarded the George Cross in 2017.
He was awarded the medal for his actions during the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya.
He became the first civilian recipient of the award in 25 years.
Has the George Cross been awarded to a collective before?
This is only the third time in the decoration’s 81-year history that a collective George Cross has been awarded by the Queen.
The first group George Cross was awarded to the Island of Malta in 1942 by King George VI.
The former reigning monarch believed that "the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history".
The second group award was given to Royal Ulster Constabulary – now The Police Service of Northern Ireland – on 23 November 1999.
Buckingham Palace announced that it was awarded "to honour the courage and dedication of the officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and their families who have shared their hardship".
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What is the George Cross?
The George Cross medal is the highest honour by the government and the Queen a civilian can receive and is equal to the highest military gallantry award – the Victoria Cross.
It is silver with one side depicting St George slaying the dragon with the inscription "For Gallantry".
The other side of the cross is the recipient's name and the date when the award was given.
It was instituted in 1940 by the Queen's father King George VI for “acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger”.
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