The Victoria Cross is the highest decoration for valour in the British armed forces, awarded for extreme bravery in the face of the enemy. It was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria at the request of her consort, Prince Albert. The first crosses were awarded during the Crimean War. In 1858, new statutes allowed the Victoria Cross to be conferred for gallantry when not in the presence of the enemy; instances of this were extremely rare, and by 1881 the cross was again awarded only for conspicuous courage in the face of the enemy. King Edward VII, in 1902, decreed that the honour could be awarded posthumously, which, since then, it frequently has been. Anyone in any branch of the British armed forces is eligible, including women, although no woman has as yet received the award.

TheVictoriaCross.net web site is dedicated to all matters relating to the Victoria Cross and to the men who have earned this most prestigious award. We hope that you enjoy the site and find its content both informative and inspiring.

The web site is split into two sections relating to the history and recipients of the Victoria Cross. The history section is split across a number of pages and sections and gives a detailed insight into the Victoria Cross from its inception through to design and manufacture to awarding the medal, colonial and commonwealth VC's and even some famous VC actions. The recipients section shows all recipients of the Victoria Cross and can be viewed by surname, date or country of action. Each recipient has a page dedicated to them.

There is also a shop that offers a number of VC's and other associated medals. The shop is run in conjunction with Dorchesters.com.