The first banknotes bearing the image of the new King Charles III will enter circulation in mid-2024 in the United Kingdom, but the portrait will be revealed as soon as the end of this year, the Bank of England announced on Tuesday.
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The monarch’s portrait “will appear on the existing models of the four polymer banknotes” of 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds, “and no further changes” will be made, according to a statement issued a week following the funeral of Elizabeth II.
In addition, banknotes bearing the image of Elizabeth II will continue to circulate in parallel and will only be withdrawn when damaged to “minimize the environmental and financial impact of the change of monarch”, following the directives of the Royal House , specifies the monetary institute.
Existing stocks of banknotes, featuring the late sovereign, will be put into circulation as planned, while the new polymer currency – which has gradually replaced paper money in the UK since 2016 – will only be printed to take the place.” used banknotes and to meet any overall increase in demand”.
Buckingham Palace also unveiled the new royal monogram – the initials of Charles III – on Monday evening, which will notably be displayed on government buildings and letterboxes, and stamped on official documents.
Under Elizabeth II, the monogram was “EIIR”, for Elizabeth II Regina (Queen in Latin).
The royal monogram will become “CIIIR” for Charles III Rex (king in Latin). In images of the monogram released by Buckingham, the C and R are intertwined and a crown floats above the initials.
Couriers leaving Buckingham Palace will be flanked by the new “CIIIR” from Tuesday, the date marking the end of royal mourning for the Queen who died on September 8 at the age of 96.
The Buckingham post office sees some 2,000 parcels and letters pass through each year, between invitations, replies to letters or cards and official letters.
After the national anthem, now sung in its male version, “God Save The King”, many aspects of daily life in the United Kingdom will change with the accession of Charles III to the throne.
The face of the new king will thus begin to appear on currencies across the Channel, but also in other countries of the world, or even on British stamps. The names of ‘Her Majesty’ Government, Treasury and Customs have already changed to ‘His Majesty’.