Queen's Scout

The Queen's Scout Award is the highest youth award achievable in the Scouting movement in several countries. It is awarded in realms of the Commonwealth, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where the Scouts operate under the ceremonial leadership of the monarch.

Individuals who achieve the Queen’s Scout Award receive a Royal Certificate from the Queen and are referred to as a Queen’s Scout. The requirements are different in each country but typically involve achieving challenges from several areas such as community involvement, adventurous activities, personal growth and leadership development. Whether the award is a Queen's or King's Scout Award depends on who is the current Monarch of the Commonwealth realms. In 1909, King Edward VII granted the award of the King's Scout Badge as the highest achievement award for Boy Scouts on the recommendation of Robert Baden-Powell, the Movement Founder and Chief Scout of the World. For a brief moment in the 1920s, there existed a "King's Sea Scout Badge" for the Sea Scout branch alongside with the King's Scout Badge. Both badges could be earned by a Sea Scout. After the establishment of the Senior Scout section in 1946, the King's Scout Badge was no longer allowed to be attained by the Boy Scouts section and became a sole privilege of the Senior Scouts (or Boy Scouts over 15). After Queen Elizabeth II succeeded the throne from her father King George VI in 1952, the badge was renamed the Queen's Scout Badge in 1953, and became the Queen's Scout Award in 1968. Prior to 1968, a Rover Scout who had gained the Queen's Scout Badge was allowed to wear a miniature replica of the badge on his left arm sleeve before he gained the Baden-Powell's Award.