Quick Guide to Mounting and Wearing Medals
The wearing of Medals and awards is difficult to cover as it is complicated. The main questions that we are frequently asked about are covered below, however, these are not the definitive answers:
Medals are worn by hanging on the left breast from a single bar (up to a maximum of 5, or 3 for the Navy) or on a rectangular frame if Court Mounted.
Court Mounted is where the medals are also backed by the ribbons and the medals can be overlapping which allows more medals on the bar and can help keep the medals still, the eldest medal should be the one fully showing when they are overlapped. Mounted using either way the medal mounting bar or frame is covered by the medal ribbons, Court Mounting usually costs at least 50% more that of side by side (swing) mounting.
British Subjects are not allowed to wear (or accept) the medals of other countries, unless the head of state is a sovereign of that country. An application can be made to allow the wearing of foreign medals by British subjects, this can be granted as restricted (instructed where the medal is to be worn) or unrestricted but in the Order of Precedence.
The UK DirectGov website displays the 'Order of Wear' for British medals along with other helpful medal and awards information.
The Order of Precedence is typically: 'British awards by date', so first come Orders, next Decorations, then followed by medals. The eldest medal nearest the centre of the chest. The obverse (front) of the medal should be showing, this is usually the head of the sovereign or coat of arms.
The medals need to be lined straight across the bottom of the stars and bottom of the rims. Typically ribbons are 33mm (1.25 in.) or for the Navy 45mm (1.75 in.) long, but this can be adjusted to ensure the medals are level across the bottom.
Mention in Despatches (MID) should be worn on the associated campaign medal, such as on the 1934-45 War Medal, or WW1 Victory Medal. If the medals are to be worn with no associated campaign medal then the MID (often an oak leaf) is worn on the coat after medal ribbons, or in the place where a single medal would have been.
The British sovereign allows the following awards to be worn upon the right breast:
Order of St.John of Jerusalem (Life saving medal).
Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal (RNLI).
Royal Humane Society.
Stanhope Gold Medal.
An excellent resource on British Medals and the wearing of family members medals is available on the Royal British Legion website
For a more in depth discussion and advice please try Spinks Medals, who publish the book "Guide to the Wearing of Orders, Decorations and Medals", E&OE.
Sorry, but please do not contact us with detailed or other mounting questions, unfortunately we do not currently have the resources required to answer any further questions other than those provided above.
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FAQs
Medals are worn by hanging on the left breast from a single bar (up to a maximum of 5, or 3 for the Navy) or on a rectangular frame if Court Mounted.
What is the correct wearing of medals? ›
Both female and male veterans wear their medals over their chest on the left-hand side of their uniform. Widows, widowers, and other relations of veterans may wear their relative's medals on the right. A veteran with medals on both sides may wear their own medals on the left and those of a relative on the right.
In what order should medals be mounted? ›
Which British honours, decorations and medals should be worn first?
- Victoria Cross.
- George Cross.
- British Orders of Knighthood.
- Decorations, Medals for Gallantry and Distinguished Conduct.
- Badge of Honour.
- Campaign Medals and Stars.
- Polar Medals.
- Imperial Service Medal.
Court mounting is a style of mounting where the medals are sewn onto a backing board to prevent the medals from 'jingling' around and is a requirement of the British Army's dress code. This type of mounting dates back to the reign of Queen Victoria.
What is the protocol for wearing medals? ›
Ideally, unofficial medals should never be worn, and definitely not worn at public ceremonial and commemorative events. They are never mixed with official medals. If you really must wear an unofficial medal (one you bought), it must be worn on the right breast.
Can I wear my medals on civilian clothing? ›
Personnel may wear either full-sized or miniature medals. Personnel who wear medals on civilian clothes should place the medals on the clothing in approximately the same location and in the same manner as for the uniform, so they look similar to medals worn on the uniform.
Do I wear my medals on the left? ›
How do I wear my medals? Current serving members wear their medals in accordance with their Service dress manual. This is generally on the left breast.
Who can wear medals on the right? ›
Wearing Military Medals:
When wearing your own medals, they should be mounted in the correct order of wear (see below) and attached to your garment on your left breast. If you are wearing medals awarded to a next of kin, these would be worn on the right breast.
Do you wear military medals to a funeral? ›
Military funerals, for example, often see servicemen and women wear bright medals and uniforms as a mark of respect to honour the loved one's service. It's likewise completely acceptable to request guests wear outfits or items of clothing outside of the norm in order to remember the deceased.
Can a son wear his father's medals? ›
War medals and service decorations of any sort may be worn only by the person upon whom they were conferred, and in no case does the right to wear war or service medals, or their ribbons, pass to any relative when the recipient is dead.
Only one row of medals is worn in the UK. 5 or six medals may be worn side by side, it is dependant on the wearers chest size and also type of uniform. A jacket with lapels does not easily accomodate a six space brooch where as a uniform buttoning straight up such as Household Division, Frock Coats can take six.
Can you wear ribbons and medals at the same time? ›
The use of large medals and badges is reserved for daytime attire, but ensure not to wear large medals and ribbons at the same time. The exception is the wear of unit ribbons on the right side on the Army uniform. When wearing civilian attire, ensure you comply with the same rules as if you were in uniform.
What is the order of wear? ›
Order of Wearing
- Victoria Cross.
- George Cross.
- British Orders of Knighthood.
- Decorations, Medals for Gallantry and Distinguished Conduct.
- Badge of Honour.
- Campaign Medals and Stars.
- Polar Medals.
- Imperial Service Medal.
We custom make each and every Frame, Mounting, Medal Naming and Military Display Framing order specifically for you. Custom Made Frames to your specification take approx 28 days. Medal mounting currently has a turnaround of approx 6 weeks.
What is the meaning of medal mounting? ›
Court Mounted Medals
Court mount medals are tied down to a backing board and the broaching fitting is attached to this backing board. Therefore, the medals don't move about when being worn. Current serving members of the Australian Defence Force are required to have their medals court mounted.
How are medals attached to uniforms? ›
The miniature badges of orders, decorations and medals should be worn suspended from a medal bar attached to the left lapel of the coat. Only one full-size neck badge should be worn, suspended from a miniature-width ribbon. The ribbon is worn under the band of the tie so that the badge hangs 2.5 cm below the tie.
How do you mount medals for display? ›
Pinning, using hook and loop, or other materials are popular ways to mount military medals. The key here is to make sure that the medals remain in place, but ensure they are easy to remove if necessary.
How do you wear medals that aren't yours? ›
When worn by others, the medals are worn on the right side to show that the wearer is not the original recipient. Children of current serving members may choose to wear a set of miniature replica medals of their parent's for special occasions, such as Anzac Day. These medals must be worn on their right breast.
What do you use to hang medals? ›
Mount a curtain rod on your wall so it's level to prevent the medals from sliding around. Drape the closed end of the ribbon over the rod so it forms a loop. Feed the medal through the loop and pull it down to tighten the ribbon the curtain rod. Continue adding the rest of your ribbons to the rod in the same way.
