UK Queen awards NHS workers for pandemic work

Queen Elizabeth II awarded the George Cross to National Health Service (NHS) workers across the UK for their work throughout the pandemic on Tuesday. The 96-year-old monarch was joined by the Prince of Wales for a small Windsor Castle ceremony where health leaders from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were each awarded the medal. A statement was read out thanking the NHS for supporting the UK "with courage, passion and dedication, demonstrating the higher standards of public service" for over seven decades. The NHS celebrated 74 years of service on 5 July 2022.