7 hours ago
image source,Getty Images
After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II has become an integral part of everyday life in Britain. In the UK, the Queen’s portrait and coat of arms can be seen in many places, including postage stamps, change and breakfast cereal boxes.
currency change
All 29 billion coins currently in circulation in the UK feature the Queen’s face. The most recent design dates back to 2015, when the Queen was 88 years old. It is also the fifth edition of the coin face design during the Queen’s reign.
The Royal Mint will not disclose when and how they will start issuing coins bearing the image of Charles III. But the Queen coin will likely remain in circulation for many years before being gradually replaced.
image source,Getty Images
The first banknote to feature the Queen’s portrait was the £1 note issued in 1960
In 1971, all British coins were updated to decimal, and before that, it was quite normal to find coins with different heads of monarchs.
While we don’t know what the new king’s coin face will look like, a coin released by the Royal Mint in 2018 to commemorate Charles’ 70th birthday may give us a clue.
But one thing seems certain, King Charles’ head will be turned the other way – the left. British tradition stipulates that following each new monarch takes the throne, the face of the monarch’s head on the coin should be in the opposite direction to the previous one, so as to alternate with each other.
Once approved, the new design will be produced at the Royal Mint at Lantricent in South Wales.
Since 1960, the Queen has appeared on all banknotes issued by the Bank of England (except those issued by the Bank of Scotland and Northern Ireland). There are currently around 4.5 billion Bank of England-issued notes in circulation, worth £80 billion, and like coins, these will gradually be replaced.
All banknotes and coins will be legal tender. The Bank of England will give sufficient notice before the change.
Stamps and mailboxes
Since 1967, the profile of Queen Elizabeth II has been embossed on all postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail.
Royal Mail will now stop printing Queen Elizabeth II stamps – but they can still be used for letters and parcels – and will start a new stamp production process.
image source,Getty Images
The new king has appeared on stamps before
Charles III has been featured on stamps before, but Royal Mail has yet to reveal what a stamp design with the new king will look like.
In addition to the new king appearing on the stamps, the Royal Mail will also replace the royal insignia (also known as the emblem, royal cyphers) on many mailboxes.
On the 115,000 mailboxes (or post boxes) in the UK, 60% bear the logo of Elizabeth II EIIR, E represents the initials of Elizabeth (Elizabeth), and R represents Regina, which is the meaning of the Queen. In Scotland, mailboxes bear the Scottish Crown.
But outside of Scotland, any new mailboxes will now use the king mark, but since the number of new mailboxes installed is so low, it may be a while before you find such a new mailbox.
Royal Certified Brand
In the UK, from ketchup to cereal packets to perfume, you may see something like “Royal Warrant” or “By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen” on some clutter or other items in your home The words are accompanied by the royal coat of arms. These are royally certified products, meaning that the company making the product regularly supplies the British royal family.
Royal Certified Product
Over the past century or so, monarchs, as well as their spouses and heirs, have issued their own Royal Warrants brands – they themselves are grantors – and there are currently around 800 companies holding 900 Royal Warrants (products).
When the grantor dies, the Royal Warrant signed by them also expires, and the granting company has 2 years to stop using the Royal Coat of Arms. (One exception is that the Queen Mother’s Royal Warrant does not expire until 5 years following her death.)
Despite becoming king, the Royal Warrant issued by Charles as Prince of Wales will remain in effect because the Royal Warrant follows the Royal Family, not the title.
The new king is expected to grant his son, heir to the throne, Prince William, the power to issue his own royal seal.
Passport is still valid
It’s not just coins, stamps and royal warrants that need updating.
All British passports are issued by Her Majesty and will remain valid for travel, but the words on the inside of the front cover of the new passports will be updated to read His Majesty, Her Majesty.
England and Wales police forces will also change the royal emblem of Queen Elizabeth II in the middle of their helmets.
The barristers and lawyers appointed by the monarch will be renamed from Queen’s Counsel to King’s Counsel, both translated into Chinese as Queen’s Counsel, with immediate effect.
Finally, Charles has been officially proclaimed king in a ceremony on the balcony of St James’s Palace in London, with announcers chanting “God bless the king”.
The lyrics of the British national anthem also changed “God Save the Queen” to “God Save the King”.
This is the first time since 1952 that the lyrics of the British national anthem have been changed from “God Bless the Queen” to “God Bless the King”.
