In recent months, as Britain recovered from mourning its queen, the dawn of a new reign began to show itself in the country’s daily life.
The England World Cup team sang “God Save the King.” For the first time in decades, a king welcomed a new prime minister. Now, as Britons prepare for the first Christmas without the traditional message from Queen Elizabeth II, the Bank of England has announced another major change.
It was announced on Monday new pound notes with the portrait of King Carlos III which are expected to enter circulation in mid-2024.
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First qualityFirst qualityFirst qualityFirst qualityThe new £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes will be printed only to replace money spent or to meet any increase in demand, so notes featuring the images of the late Queen and the current King will circulate at the same time. .
The announcement marked another new page in British history, with Charles taking his mother’s place on the throne and in the rituals and symbols that attest to the royal family’s presence in everyday life.
The Bank of England has unveiled new pound notes featuring the portrait of King Charles III which are expected to come into circulation in mid-2024, the notes featuring the images of the late Queen and the current King will be in circulation at the same time. (The Bank of England via The New York Times)
“This is a significant moment,” the bank’s governor, Andrew Bailey, said in a statement, adding that Charles was only the second monarch to appear on pound notes.
Pound notes were first issued in the late 17th century, but the British sovereign has appeared on them only since 1960, Elizabeth being the first monarch to appear. The initial notes showed a portrait of the queen wearing her family’s diamond diadem.
“It was a formal and stately image, and was criticized as a stark and unrealistic likeness,” according to the Bank of England.
A second portrait by another designer was more popular, because people thought the portrait was more realistic and she looked more “relaxed,” according to the bank. Other portraits were later introduced, but the one most familiar to most Britons is that of a more mature queen, drawn in 1990. The same portrait continued to appear after 2016, when banknotes began to be printed on plastic instead of paper.
Since the 17th century, monarchs have been depicted on coins facing the opposite direction to their immediate predecessor, whereby Charles faces left, while his mother faces right.
The notes do not seem to be subject to the same tradition, since the sovereigns are represented from the front.
In recent years Britain has paid tribute to some of its prestigious national figures by introducing coins featuring former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, novelist Jane Austen, painter JMW Turner and mathematician Alan Turing.
The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, also announced the creation of £5 50 pence coins featuring the king, created by sculptor Martin Jennings. They will not replace the Elizabeth coins, to “minimize the environmental and financial impact of the change of monarch,” the Royal Mint said.
