Guidance

The Elizabeth Emblem - Command Paper (HTML)

Updated 12 March 2024

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The Elizabeth Emblem

Recognition to mark nationally the great loss and sacrifice that the next of kin of those who died in the course of undertaking eligible public service have sustained

His Majesty The King has graciously approved a recommendation by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals for a commemorative emblem, as described below, as a mark of recognition for those who lost their lives in the course of undertaking eligible public service. This will include:

  • (1) Employment in a role by, on behalf of, or formally funded by, an eligible body. An eligible body will be defined as the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Northern Ireland Executive, local government, a Crown Dependency or a British Overseas Territory;
  • (2) Working - either in a paid or voluntary capacity - at the behest of an eligible body. This will include any person who has a formal contract or agreement to work for the eligible body or who has been ordered to provide a service; and
  • (3) Working as part of emergency services personnel in a paid or voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies either directly or indirectly as part of their conditions of service. Emergency services personnel will include: control room staff and civilians working for the police services, ambulance services and fire and rescue services of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or a Crown Dependency or British Overseas Territory, as well as persons working for mountain, cave and water rescue services, weather and natural disaster response services, and coastguard services.

Eligibility Criteria

  • (1) Those undertaking eligible public service may be drawn from any nationality.
  • (2)   A person’s death shall have been directly attributable to the public service in question. This will include:
    • Where the death occurred as a direct result of action being taken in the course of public service;
    • Where the person to be commemorated has been directly targeted as a result of their public service role or action, whether on or off duty;
    • Where the person to be commemorated has died as a result of an operational call out, whether routine or emergency, if responding to the call resulted in their death; and/or,
    • Where the person to be commemorated died as a result of acting to assist in an emergency situation for which they were trained, even if formally not on duty at the time.
  • (3) The death must have occurred on or after 1 January 1948 or have taken place in Palestine between 27 September 1945 and 31 December 1947.
  • (4) Eligible persons who subsequently died as a result of illness or injury attributed to any of the foregoing qualifying circumstances may also be commemorated by the Elizabeth Emblem.
  • (5) A person will not be eligible to be commemorated by The Elizabeth Emblem if: (i) they were engaging in a criminal act or acting in such a way as to place themselves or others at additional risk to their life; or (ii) they are eligible to be commemorated by the granting of the Elizabeth Cross.
  • (6) The awarding of this Emblem does not reflect an acceptance on the part of either HM Government or any employer of any legal liability in respect of the death in respect of which the award is made.

A person eligible to receive the The Elizabeth Emblem shall be the recorded next of kin or the person determined to be so. If an additional person is not recorded as the next of kin, they may be eligible for a Memorial Scroll but only, if they are:

  • A parent of the deceased person; or
  • The spouse or partner of the deceased person or someone who had a substantive relationship with them.

The names of all those who have been commemorated by the grant of The Elizabeth Emblem and the recipient thereof shall be recorded in a Register of such names which shall be maintained by the person for the time being holding the Office of Secretary of the Central Chancery of Our Orders of Knighthood and The Honours and Appointments Secretariat in the Cabinet Office on behalf of the Head of Our Home Civil Service

Design

The design incorporates a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, surrounding the Tudor Crown. It will be inscribed ‘For A Life Given In Service’ and will have the name of the person to be commemorated inscribed on the reverse of the Emblem.

The Emblem will include a pin to allow the award to be worn on clothing by the next of kin of the deceased.

The grant of The Elizabeth Emblem will be accompanied by a miniature, and either may be worn by the recipient at that person’s discretion.

The Emblem will carry no rights to the use of post-nominal letters.

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