Victoria Cross enlargement
The first Victoria Cross investiture ceremony was held in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857.
The Victoria Cross is Britain's highest award for conspicuous courage and bravery by members of the armed forces in the face of the enemy. The decoration, chosen by Queen Victoria, is in the form of a Maltese cross. Each medal is made of bronze melted from enemy cannons captured at Sevastopol during the Crimean War and bears the royal crest and the inscription 'For Valour'.
Click on the links in the map to discover more about some of the servicemen who have been awarded the VC, or return to the World Map.