The Egyptian Medal, granted to the Army in Egypt in 1882 1882

This bronze Egyptian Medal was designed by Leonard Charles Wyon and granted to the British Army in Egypt in 1882. Medals like these are more than mere objects; they are emblems of power, saturated with the politics of empire. This medal commemorates a British military campaign in Egypt, which was ostensibly to suppress a revolt, but in reality was to consolidate British control over the Suez Canal and thus maintain its strategic and economic interests in the region. Notice the profile of Queen Victoria, a symbol of British authority and dominance. Awarding such a medal served to reinforce a sense of national pride and to legitimize Britain's colonial presence. Yet, it also masks the human cost of these imperial ambitions, the lives disrupted and the lands seized. How does this medal make you feel about the relationship between Britain and Egypt during this period?