Teething Problems, 1856–1867

Abstract

The Royal Warrant of 29 January 1856 created the award, but it was up to the War Office and Horse Guards to decide exactly how to implement the medal and select the individuals to be recommended to the Crown for the honor. As with any new bureaucratic creation, the Victoria Cross went through a developmental phase during the first years of its existence before departmental standards were established. Fifteen clauses were included in the original warrant governing everything from the color of the suspender ribbon (red for the army, blue for the Navy) to the circumstances by which a winner could be stripped of the honor. The operative clauses were quite vague, however, and offered no exact definition of what was to be considered heroic and worthy of reward.