ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom

Okay, so you know how sometimes when you do something really good, your mum or dad might give you a gold star or a sticker to say well done? Well, the government in the United Kingdom has something kind of similar for grown-ups who do really good things, but instead of a sticker, they get something called an "order, decoration, or medal".

An order is like a club that you become a member of if you do something really special or important, like helping people during a war or making a big contribution to the country. There are a few different orders that people can be a part of in the UK, like the Order of the Bath or the Order of the British Empire. When you become a member of one of these orders, you might get to go to fancy dinners, wear a special medal or badge, and use some fancy letters after your name to show off your achievement!

A decoration is kind of like a special badge or ornament that you can wear on your clothes to show that you've done something really brave or special. These are often given to members of the military who have been really brave during a war, like saving people's lives or fighting really hard. They might have different designs on them depending on what you've done, so some people might have a medal that shows a picture of a boat if they've saved people from a sinking ship, for example.

Finally, a medal is a small round piece of metal that you might get as a reward for doing something special, like winning a sports competition or helping your community in some way. There are lots of different medals that you can get in the UK, like the Victoria Cross or the George Cross, and they all have different designs on them to show what they're for.

So all in all, orders, decorations, and medals are special rewards that people can get in the UK if they do something really important or special, and they're a bit like grown-up versions of gold stars or stickers!