The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. It was created in 1883 and the first two awards were to Florence Nightingale and Jane Cecilia Deeble. Deeble had served in Zululand and she had noted that the work of the nurses was not recognised officially.

Foundation

The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member and first awarded to the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. The second award was made to Jane Cecilia Deeble. Deeble had served in Zululand and she had noted that the work of the nurses was not recognised officially. The award was created after this comment was passed to the Queen's senior official, Sir Henry Ponsonby, after he was told that "a word of recognition from the Queen … would make her and them [i.e. Jane Cecilia Deeble and the nurses] happy and proud for the rest of their lives". A second and lower class, Associate, was added during the First World War in November 1915. The award is made to a fully trained nurse of an officially recognised nursing service, military or civilian, who has shown exceptional devotion and competence in the performance of nursing duties, over a continuous and long period, or who has performed an exceptional act of bravery and devotion at her or his post of duty. It is conferred on members of the nursing services regardless of rank. Holders of the second class who receive a further award are promoted to the first class, although an initial award can also be made in the first class. Holders of the first class who receive a further award are awarded a bar. The decoration was conferred exclusively on women until 1976, when men became eligible, with posthumous awards permitted from 1979. Recipients of the Royal Red Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "RRC" for Members and "ARRC" for Associates.

Description

The reverse is plain except a circular medallion bearing the royal cypher of the reigning monarch. The reverse has a circular medallion bearing the royal cypher of the reigning monarch, with the words "Faith", "Hope" and "Charity" inscribed on the upper three limbs of the cross, with the year "1883" in the lower limb.