King Charles on British banknotes – looks a bit younger King Charles on British banknotes – looks a bit younger

Queen Elizabeth II was featured on British banknotes for a long time. However, since the Queen’s death, new money has been issued with an image of her successor, King Charles III. be produced. The Bank of England has unveiled banknote designs featuring the King’s portrait. The new banknotes are expected to be in circulation by mid-2024.

The Bank of England has now unveiled the design ahead of the monarch’s coronation on 6 May 2023. The King’s image will appear on all four notes currently in circulation – the £5, £10, £20 and standing £50. The King’s portrait is featured on the front of the banknotes and in the clear security window. The Queen Elizabeth II notes will remain legal tender, allowing the public to use them as usual, the central bank said.

But Charles’s features look surprisingly young. The cheeks and area around the eyes are slightly smoother than the current Charles.

King Charles III will be only the second monarch in British history to appear on a banknote. A picture of the reigning monarch has only existed since 1960, when the one pound note was introduced for everyday use with Queen Elizabeth II. Coins, on the other hand, have depicted kings and queens for centuries.

As well as the new portrait of the King on the front, the reverse of the British banknotes remains unchanged: with two-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the £5 notes, writer Jane Austen on the £10 notes, artist JMW Turner on the £20 notes notes and computer scientist Alan Turing on the £50 notes.

(t-online, spot on news, Seb)