Milestone moment King Charles presented with first banknotes featuring his face
9 April 2024, 15:20 | Updated: 9 April 2024, 15:53
King Charles has been presented with the first banknotes bearing his portrait during a meeting with the Governor of the Bank of England.
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King Charles, 75, received a leather-bound booklet containing the historic legal tender from Andrew Bailey at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
This is a milestone moment for the monarch, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, to see his image on the new polymer notes, just over a year and a half since the start of his reign.
Charles inspected the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes - the first low-numbered note of each denomination with 01 000001 serial numbers - and pointed and smiled at the details as Mr Bailey turned the pages, showing the front and back.
They were joined by Sarah John, the Bank of England's Chief Cashier, whose signature appears on the currency, and the King gave a joyous grin as he greeted his guests in the 1844 Room.
Read more: King Charles to open up Balmoral Castle to public for first time
Charles is only the second British monarch to grace the Bank of England's notes. It is the first time one sovereign's image has been replaced with another.
Notes began to be issued from the late 17th century, but Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the first British sovereign to be given the honour in 1960 on a £1 paper note.
Before this, Britannia was the only character to have appeared.
The money will be issued gradually into circulation from June 5 - with Charles's portrait featuring on the front of the banknotes, as well as in cameo in the see-through security window, visible on the front and back.
The reverse side characters remain unchanged from previous editions. Sir Winston Churchill graces the £5, Jane Austen appears on the £10, JMW Turner remains on the £20 and Alan Turing features on the £50.
Existing notes featuring the portrait of the late Queen will continue to be legal tender, so the Elizabeth II and King Charles III notes will co-circulate.
New notes will only be printed to replace worn-out ones and to meet any overall increase in demand in order to minimise the environmental and financial impact of the change - in keeping with the Royal Household's request.
Today marks both happy and sad anniversaries for the King, falling on his and the Queen's 19th wedding anniversary, and the third anniversary of the death of his father, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh.
It is also the 22nd anniversary of the funeral of Charles's grandmother, the Queen Mother.
Camilla, 76, has been dubbed the monarchy's "saviour" and praised for keeping "the show on the road" while the King and the Princess of Wales undergo treatment for cancer.
However, she was not always seen in such a positive light and was blamed for the breakdown of Charles' marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales.
When news of their affair first came to light, she faced antagonistic criticism.
Even so, Charles and Camilla married on April 9 2005 in a private civil ceremony at Windsor's Guildhall, followed by a televised blessing in St George's Chapel.
Their marriage was postponed by a day, just four days beforehand, when their ceremony clashed with Pope John Paul II's funeral in Vatican City, which Charles had to attend to represent his mother.
Camilla gradually took on a more prominent position within the royal family over the years, including riding next to Elizabeth II in her Diamond Jubilee carriage procession.
She was crowned Queen Camilla at the King's side at the coronation last year.
Charles made a rare outdoor appearance on Easter Sunday, attending church with the Queen and greeting crowds of well-wishers.
