The cross, established in 1920, is dedicated to the memory of nine men who died from wounds in hospitals managed by Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna in Harrogate during World War I from 1914 to 1918.

In 1914, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna arrived in Harrogate with her daughters Nina and Ksenia. She was the wife of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich, who was a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II. Maria left her husband in Russia, where he was killed by the Bolsheviks in 1919.

A month after their arrival in England, the war began. During World War I, the duchess organized several hospitals for wounded soldiers in Harrogate, one of which was Hitherden on Wetherby Road.