By John Ensor • Published: 09 Apr 2024 • 21:21
New £50 bank note. Credit: bankofengland/flickr.com
In a historic moment, King Charles has become only the second British monarch to be pictured on a banknote.
The ceremonial unveiling happened at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, April 9, where King Charles was presented with the inaugural issues of the £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes, featuring his portrait.
King Charles has maintained a lower public profile following his cancer diagnosis, opting for private engagements. This event, hosted by Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, marks a significant but intimate ceremony.
Bailey highlighted the novelty of this transition, noting, ‘this was the first time the Bank of England had had to change the monarch on the banknotes,’ as Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to grace all Bank of England notes.
The king was gifted a set of notes bearing the serial numbers 00001, and he remarked on the design, calling it ‘very elegant.’ The new polymer banknotes are engraved with an image of King Charles from 2013, noticeably without a crown, contrasting with his mother’s depiction.
The introduction of these banknotes signifies one of the final stages in the transition to King Charles’s reign.
Before this, new stamps and coins bearing his image had already been circulated. The Bank of England announced a phased rollout of the notes beginning on June 5, with the existing Queen Elizabeth notes to remain valid until wear and tear requires their replacement.
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Originally from Doncaster, Yorkshire, John now lives in Galicia, Northern Spain with his wife Nina. He is passionate about news, music, cycling and animals.
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