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You may not even notice, but we see the Queen’s face relatively often just by going about our everyday lives.
Queen Elizabeth has reigned for more than 70 years, meaning most of the country will know only her images and symbols around them – and likely barely even give it a second thought.
Her Majesty is pictured on all British cash, coins and stamps. Her royal cypher is engraved onto the front of most post boxes, and each UK passport holds a message about her authority.
But, as the country mourns the death of the Queen at the age of 96, it is also preparing for its new King, Charles III.
Like his mum, pictures of King Charles will gradually become part of our everyday lives.
New versions of British money depicting the King will start to be circulated slowly, but a day for this has not yet been announced.
Older notes and coins are expected to remain as legal tender while the transition takes place, but there will likely be a date set for when this money can no longer be used.
Canada, New Zealand and Australia all use the Queen’s face on their currency as well – as former colonies of the British Empire and major members of the Commonwealth.
The same will happen to stamps over time, where the Queen’s face will likely be swapped with a picture of King Charles.
In a slightly less noticeable tribute, the Queen’s cypher is displayed on most post boxes across the country, except for in Scotland.
The monarch’s code EIIR stood for ‘Elizabeth II Regina’ – Regina is the Latin word for Queen.
It is unlikely Britain’s iconic red post boxes will be removed and replaced to honour the King, but any new ones will have his chosen cypher engraved on them instead.
The King’s cypher will take over the Queen’s in several other places though, including government buildings, uniforms and royal or state documents.
Another less obvious way the Queen is represented in British items is in the message on UK passports.
It reads: ‘Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.’
While the message will probably stay the same, the pronouns will be swapped out with male ones.
However, Brits will only get a new passport reflecting the King once their current travel documents expire and they need a new one anyway.
Of course, the national anthem is no longer God Save the Queen, and is now God Save the King.
The last time this was the UK’s national anthem was when George VI was the nation’s monarch in 1952.
More: Royal Family
Unlike other changes, the anthem will have switched lyrics immediately.
The titles of leading barristers have also changed instantly – from Queen’s Counsel (QC) to King’s Counsel (KC).
Kirsty Brimelow KC, chairwoman of the Criminal Bar Association, said: ‘We pay tribute to the Queen’s steadfast and true public service and offer our deep condolences to His Majesty the King and the royal family.
‘We mark with sorrow and dedication to justice the change of Queen’s Counsel to King’s Counsel.’
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