Wearing medals

Court-mounted medals

This photograph shows a veteran wearing his medals. They are worn on the left side of his chest. The full rules concerning how medals are worn are very complex.

The most important medal, or senior medal, is worn on the right of the group. If a number of medals are worn they are often overlapped or mounted on a backing piece. This is known as court-mounted.

Valour medals, awarded for bravery, are given greater importance over campaign and service medals. The Victoria Cross, the supreme award for gallantry, has seniority over all other British medals.

Discover the order in which medals should be worn