What is Elizabeth Cross?
[[File:The Elizabeth Cross MOD 45150375.jpg|thumb]] The '''Elizabeth Cross''' is an award within the [[United Kingdom honours system|British honours system]] that is issued to the [[next of kin]] of a service man or woman who died due to enemy action or terrorism since 1949.<ref name=MOD>{{cite web|title=The Elizabeth Cross – Died On Operations Recognition Award |url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/TheElizabethCrossDiedOnOperationsRecognitionAward.htm|accessdate=2009-06-07|publisher=[[United Kingdom Ministry of Defense|UK MOD]]}}</ref> The award comes with a [[memorial]] [[scroll]] that contains the dead persons name, when they died and has the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen's]] signature on it. It is the most recent medal, honour or award to bear the name of a reigning monarch of the [[United Kingdom]] since the [[George Cross]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5710673/Bereaved-Service-families-to-be-awarded-Elizabeth-Cross.html|title=Bereaved Service families to be awarded Elizabeth Cross|last= Harding|first=Thomas|date=2009-01-07|accessdate=2009-06-07|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> It is not an award for [[wikt:valour|valour]] or [[wikt:bravery|bravery]]. It is in the shape of a cross with four equal sides that contains flowers at the end of each arm that represents the four countries within the union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The medal also contains a [[laurel wreath]] behind the cross and bears the dead person's name on the back.<ref name=MOD/> The medal comes with a miniature (small version) medal for day wear. The medal can only be worn by the next of kin and for anyone else to wear it (even if related to the person who died) is a criminal offence. ==Related pages== *[[Victoria Cross]] *[[George Cross]] *[[George Medal]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Other websites== *[http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Templates/LargeImageTemplate.aspx?img=/NR/rdonlyres/0787502E-2CD5-4516-90BE-