The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest decoration that one can receive in the UK or any of its commonwealth nations.
It is given for extreme courage and valour to those who showed such displays while in the face of danger against a clear danger from enemy forces. Thus, only members of the armed forces are eligible to receive it. Any officer or person of any rank in the armed forces can receive it as well as civilians who act with bravery under military orders.
Given its high statue, the Victoria Cross is generally awarded by the reigning monarch at Buckingham Palace but has been also given by the Governor of Commonwealth countries respectively.
The VC was originally created by Queen Victoria in 1856 to honour high acts of bravery during the Crimean War. Given its high statute it has only been given out 1,356 times in total and only 13 medals total to date have been given since WWII.
It is a bronze medal that bears the Crown of St. Edward and is affixed to a royal purple ribbon. The suspension bar is typically engraved with the rank, number, unit and name of the recipient and the medal itself is engraved on the date the act of bravery occurred that the recipient was honoured for with the VC.
