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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 Zulu Kingdom and the Colony of Natal during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, and she had noted that the work of the nurses was not recognised officially.
Queen Victoria established the award by Royal Proclamation on 27 April 1883.[3] The decoration was to be conferred, as recommended by the Secretary for State for War or First Lord of the Admiralty, on ladies for special exertions in the providing of nursing for sick and wounded soldiers and sailors and on nursing sisters for special devotion and competency displayed in nursing duties for the army in the field or in the military and naval hospitals[3] In addition, the Royal Red Cross could be worn by Queens and Princesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.[3] At this time there was a single class of the award.
The first awards were made in May 1883 under provision of Queen Victoria's warrant.[4] The recipients included 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. 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".[5] Also receiving the award at this time were 22 nursing sisters and Lady Loyd-Lindsay, founder of the National Aid Society (later the British Red Cross Society).[4]
A second and lower class, Associate, was added during the First World War in November 1915 under a Royal Proclamation of King George V.[6]
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 their 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.[7]
The decoration was conferred exclusively on women until 1976, when men became eligible, with posthumous awards permitted from 1979.[8]
Recipients of the Royal Red Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "RRC" for Members and "ARRC" for Associates.[9]