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New banknotes featuring the portrait of King Charles III have entered circulation, according to the BBC.
However, it may take some time before they become a common sight in wallets and purses. The Bank of England will gradually introduce these notes as replacements for damaged ones or in response to increased demand.
According to the BBC, King Charles III is only the second monarch to appear on Bank of England notes, following Queen Elizabeth II, who first featured in 1960. Despite the new release, shoppers can still use the existing £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes bearing the late Queen’s portrait. The reverse sides of the current polymer notes, which feature Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing, remain unchanged. Banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to feature different images and not the monarch.
The introduction of King Charles III’s image on various items has been gradual. In December 2022, millions of 50p coins with the King’s portrait entered circulation. By the end of 2023, new coin designs, including a bee on the pound coin, were introduced. In March 2023, Royal Mail issued the first King Charles stamps as part of a special set, followed by regular first and second-class stamps showing the King without his crown. British passports began to be issued in the name of “His Majesty” in July 2023.
Public buildings, such as town halls and courts, were offered an official portrait of the monarch in January 2024, taken at Windsor Castle. In February 2024, King Charles’s preferred design of the Tudor crown was introduced on the gov.uk website and official buildings. Finally, in June 2024, the Bank of England released £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes featuring the King’s portrait, based on a photograph taken in 2013. Postboxes, on the other hand, will only change when damaged or scheduled for extensive repair, meaning many still bear symbols from Queen Victoria’s reign.
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