politics
March 13, 2026
UK to ditch national icons for flora and fauna on new banknotes
The Bank of England will replace historical figures, including Winston Churchill, with images of UK wildlife on banknotes
TL;DR
- Bank of England plans to replace historical figures on banknotes with native UK wildlife.
- Shakespeare, Churchill, Turner, Turing, and Austen are among those potentially being replaced.
- The public will be asked to help choose which birds, animals, and natural scenes will feature.
- King Charles III will remain on the front of the notes.
- A public consultation showed strong support for a wildlife theme.
- The redesign aims to showcase UK wildlife and improve anti-counterfeiting features.
- New notes are expected to enter circulation in several years.
- Historical figures have been on Bank of England notes since 1970.
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