King Charles III’s Coronation Medal

The official description, eligibility, criteria, and history of King Charles III’s Coronation Medal.

Context

The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada. The medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

Eligibility and criteria

Eligible candidates must meet the following national criteria:

• Have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada, and

• Be alive on 6 May 2023. The award can be made posthumously, as long as the candidate was alive on that date.

The list of partners in this medal program and their allocation of medals have been confirmed. During the anniversary year, 30,000 medals will be awarded, of which 4,000 will recognize members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

The military selection criteria is based on merit and includes guidelines to ensure the recipients are representative of the CAF population, Regular and Reserve, including Cadet Instructors and Canadian Rangers. The CAF leadership directed that recognition will be focused on the work of those in lower ranks for both the NCM and officer corps, which are so critical to our operational success, particularly as we rebuild the CAF to its authorized strength. Therefore, the vast majority of medals will go to non-commissioned members up to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class/Warrant Officer and to officers up to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander/Major. A small number will also go to the ranks of Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class/Master Warrant Officer, Chief Petty Officer 1st Class/Chief Warrant Officer and Commander/Lieutenant-Colonel. The allocation of medals for the military will be administered by the Directorate of Honours and Recognition (DH&R).

To honour public service employees, medals have also been allocated to federal departments and agencies, including DND. Nominations will be made in accordance with the criteria above and using selection guidelines to ensure that recipients reflect the diversity of the department. The allocation of medals for public service employees within DND will be administered by the Corporate Awards and Recognition Team at ADM(HR-Civ).

Members of the Defence Team seeking details on criteria and selection guidelines may consult the Defence Information Network (DIN) where CANFORGEN 063/24 refers.

Description

A circular medal, silver in colour and 32 mm in diameter, bearing:

• On the obverse, a crowned and robed effigy of His Majesty The King of Canada, facing right, circumscribed with the inscriptions “CHARLES III DEI GRATIA REX” and “CANADA”.
• On the reverse, there appears on the background a ring of frosted triangular shapes evoking the image of a string of pennants displayed for a celebration. These 13 shapes allude to Canada’s provinces and territories, and their circular arrangement conveys the idea of inclusion for all Canadians. The circle is also an important concept for many Indigenous Peoples, symbolizing not only equity but also the cycles of the natural world. Over this background appears the Canadian Royal Cypher in the center, the date of the Coronation, 6.V.2023, on the left and the words “VIVAT REX” meaning Long Live The King, on the right.

A 12 mm ring, which holds the ribbon, passes through a small hollow ball at the top of a claw joined to the top of the medal.

The ribbon is 32 mm in width with a red stripe in the centre, 5 mm in width, on each side of which are white stripes, 2 mm in width, followed by dark blue stripes, 9.5 mm in width, and red edge stripes, 2 mm in width. This ribbon is identical to the British Coronation Medal ribbon and is inspired by the King Edward VII’s Coronation Medal ribbon from 1902, which was the first Coronation Medal suspended from a ribbon.

Bar(s)

There is no bar to this medal.

Wearing

The medal shall be worn in sequence prescribed in the Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals Directive, and in the following manner: on the left breast, suspended from the ribbon described above, after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and before the RCMP Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Post-nominals

The use of a post-nominal is not authorized for this medal.

Historical notes

The medal program was first announced three days before the Coronation, on 3 May 2023, by the Prime Minister.

The design of the medal and the details of the program were announced by Rideau Hall on 6 May 2024, first anniversary of the Coronation.

The inaugural ceremony also took place on 6 May 2024, on which occasion the Governor General presented the first medals to the Lieutenant Governors and Territorial Commissioners during a virtual event. On the same day, some Lieutenant Governors also held inaugural presentations in their province, which included the first military recipients.

The medal was designed by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority at the Chancellery of Honours, Rideau Hall.

The medal is struck in nickel-silver and lacquered to prevent tarnishing. It is manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint.