King Charles III just witnessed his own face on the new banknotes that will start circulating in June. The King was handed the first set of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes featuring his royal face at Buckingham Palace. It’s an old classic tradition for the King to get the first issues of new notes. The existing notes with the late Queen Elizabeth II on them will still be around for a while, though. Read further to get the lowdown.
King Charles III Gets the First Issues of New Notes!
King Charles III hasn’t been out and about for undertaking public engagement since he was diagnosed with cancer. However, the King has continued to show up to private events. These include the very events where he checked out the new notes with Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England. Moreover, Bailey mentioned to the Monarch that they have never had to change the face on the notes before.
Queen Elizabeth II was the first to have her portrait on the Bank of England’s banknotes. King Charles III was astonished at the revelation, “This is what is so surprising. You would think that it goes back.” Additionally, the King received a very fancy leather-bound booklet with the new notes, each with 00011 special serial numbers. He described the design as “very elegant.” By the way, the new polymer notes show Charles without a crown, based on a pic from 2013.
Big Step For King Charles Indeed
The new banknotes mark one of the last steps before Charles officially takes over the throne. Furthermore, The Bank of England says there’ll be a slow rollout, with the old notes sticking around until they wear out or get damaged. Nevertheless, with the trend towards cashless payments, it might be a while before you spot the change in notes. Meanwhile, King Charles III and Queen Camilla celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary yesterday.
The couple married on April 9, 2005, 35 years after they first crossed paths back in 1970. It was an emotional celebration, given Charles’s health issues. Princess Kate, who’s also battling cancer, sent a sweet note wishing him well. Tough times! We wish them all the luck and prosperity. In the meantime, don’t miss out on other King Charles III updates over at TV Season & Spoilers!