Prince Harry's military medals explained as he shows off four awards in new video

Prince Harry presents Soldier of the Year award

Prince Harry appeared on camera this week to deliver a prominent award to a member of the US Army.

Taking part, albeit only virtually, in the Service Members of the Year ceremony hosted by the Military Times Foundation, the Duke of Sussex wore a brown tie and dark suit, on which he pinned his medals.

In the clip filmed from the home in Montecito, California, which he shares with his wife Meghan Markle, Harry celebrated the career, resilience, determination and strength of Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks, named Soldier of the Year 2024.

In his brief speech, he recalled meeting the sergeant for the first time during the 2016 Orlando Invictus Games - the multi-sports tournament for injured and ill veterans and servicemen and women he founded in 2014.

As the attention of many viewers was caught by the Duke of Sussex's medals, Express.co.uk is taking its readers through the medals and decorations received by Prince Harry during his life as a member of the UK Armed Forces and royal.

Prince Harry wore his medals in a recent video (Image: Military Times)

In the 2.30-minute clip, the Duke can be seen wearing four medals.

From left to right, they are as follows:

The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan

Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal

Prince Harry was one of the royals awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 (Image: Getty)

Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan

Prince Harry served in the British Armed Forces for a decade, before leaving the military in 2015 to take on full-time the role of senior member of the Firm.

During his service, he was deployed twice to Afghanistan - first between 2007 and 2008 and later between 2012 and 2013. Following his first tour in the Helmand Province, he was awarded the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, a campaign medal.

Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal

Prince Harry was one of the 400,000 people who received the commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II.

The medal was awarded to UK Armed Forces regular, reserve, and cadet branches who had been in continuous service for five years on February 6 2002. Members of the Royal Household were also eligible, as were members of the Firm.

Prince Harry was among the royals celebrating late Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002 (Image: Getty)

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

Around 450,000 medals were awarded in the UK and its overseas territories to members of HM Armed Forces, both regular and reserves, who had served longer than five years, as well as to operational members of HM Prison Service and emergency services personnel who had been in paid service, retained or in a voluntary capacity, and who had completed five full calendar years of service on February 6 2012.

This medal was created to mark the 60th anniversary of the late Queen's accession to the throne in 2012. As for the Golden Jubilee Medal, members of the Royal Household and the Firm were eligible too.

Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal

This medal was issued in 2022, the year in which Elizabeth II marked her historic Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

As it happened for her previous jubilees, hundreds of thousands of people were awarded this medal, as were members of the Royal Family including the Duke of Sussex.

Prince Harry has been previously seen wearing the KCVO Star (Image: Getty)

While during his latest appearance the Duke was seen wearing only four medals, in the past he has also been seen donning the KCVO Star.

This marks his status as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour awarded by Queen Elizabeth II to her grandson in 2015 for his services to the sovereign.

The dynastic order of knighthood established in the late 1890s by Queen Victoria recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the Royal Family, or any senior representative of the Crown, and is handed out at the sovereign's discretion.

Prince Harry first met Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the 2016 Invictus Games (Image: Getty)

As mentioned, the Duke of Sussex served in the Army for 10 years and rose to the rank of captain.

After graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which he had joined in 2005, Harry became a Blues and Royals member.

In 2007 he was deployed to Afghanistan for a 10-week tour during which, as a forward air controller, he was tasked with co-ordinating airstrikes on Taliban positions. His mission was cut short after an Australian news outlet broke the international media embargo on his whereabouts.

Following his return, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant with the Household Cavalry and he retrained as an Apache pilot in the Army Air Corps, which allowed him to return to Afghanistan in 2012 as a helicopter co-pilot and gunner.

General Sir Nicholas Carter, who was Chief of the General Staff when the Duke stepped down from the military in 2015, said Prince Harry had "achieved much in his 10 years as a soldier".

While no longer being in the Army, the Duke continues to support the military community through activism and charity work - including with his Invictus Games.