After the passing of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, it is only fitting to explore one of the legacies he has left behind – the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme aimed at 14- to 25-year-olds.
The popular youth award programme has been around since 1956 and now includes participants from 144 nations across the globe. The scheme was one of Prince Philip’s proudest achievements and more than 10 million young people have taken part.
Participants that complete each stage of the scheme are awarded a certificate and a badge in recognition of their achievements. The Bronze and Silver Awards are presented at a local level, but those who go on to complete their Gold Award are invited to one of the royal palaces for a special presentation ceremony – either St James’s Palace or Buckingham Palace in London, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh or Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. Although recipients don’t receive engraved awards, they can choose between a badge or a brooch, and they always receive a certificate noting their achievement.
The badges are made from coloured enamel with a gold, silver or bronze inlay depicting crossed swords that are topped by a crown. Gold Award achievers also have the option to choose a brooch instead, which has gold-plated open filigree surrounding the same crossed swords and crown.
It is without doubt that the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme will continue to inspire generations of young people for many years to come.
