Queen awards George Cross to ‘courageous and dedicated’ NHS
THE Queen has paid a personal tribute to the “courage, compassion and dedication” of the NHS on the day it marks its 73rd anniversary by awarding the nation’s health service the George Cross in the wake of the huge demands placed on it by coronavirus.
The award was instituted by King George VI on September 24, 1940, during the height of the Blitz, and is granted in recognition of “acts of the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger”.
Handed out rarely, the honour is one of the highest in the land and recognises the efforts of staff across all four home nations.
The award of the George Cross by the Queen is made on the advice of the George Cross Committee and the Prime Minister.
In a personal, handwritten message, on Windsor Castleheaded paper, 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 UK.
“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.”
Details of the presentation of the award will be confirmed at a later date.
The NHS has faced its toughest challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, with fears that the health service could be overwhelmed by a huge surge in patient numbers needing emergency treatment.
The NHS’s chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said: “This unprecedented award rightly recognises the skill and compassion and the fortitude of staff right across the National Health Service – the nurses, the paramedics, the doctors, the cleaners, the therapists, the entire team – who under the most demanding of circumstances have responded to the worst pandemic in a century and the greatest challenge this country has faced since the Second World War.
“Out of those dark times have come the best of what it means to be a carer and a health professional.
“In the face of adversity, we have seen extraordinary teamwork, not just across the NHS but involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers, millions of carers, key workers and the British public who have played an indispensable role in helping the health service to look after many hundreds of thousands of seriously ill patients with coronavirus.”
The most recent recipient of the George Cross is Dominic Troulan, a retired British Army officer and former Royal Marine, given for his actions during the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya.
You have the enduring thanks and heartfelt appreciation of us all. Message from Queen to NHS workers.
THE Queen has joined yesterday by the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor at the Royal Windsor Horse Show during her fourth visit to the event in the past week.
The largest outdoor horse show in the UK, it involves international competitions in three equestrian disciplines.
The Queen, known for her love of horses, was photographed smiling while sitting in her secluded area at the show. She was dressed in a green coat, green flowery headscarf and brown shoes, and was wearing sunglasses.
Sophie and her daughter, Lady Louise, took part in the day’s activities by riding horses and carriages through the show. Echoing her previous appearance in 2018, Lady Louise wore a green hat, a green tweed jacket and a white shirt as she led her own horse and carriage.
It is thought that Lady Louise has inherited her love of riding horse and carriages from her grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died aged 99 in April.
The four-wheeled carriage is believed to be the one built to the Duke’s specifications and included in his funeral procession. Reports said Lady Louise inherited the carriage after the Duke’s death, although this has not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.