“God Save the King” – many Britons are still getting used to these new words from their national anthem. But that is by no means the only change to which Her Majesty’s subjects must adapt. An overview:
Coins:
According to the BBC, there are an estimated 29 billion coins in circulation in the UK. They all bear the effigy of the queen. Five different portraits were made during her 70-year reign, the most recent design being from 2015. The coins remain valid.
The Royal Mint has not yet announced when it will start minting new coins with Charles’ profile. But one thing is certain: according to tradition, the profiles are always presented from different sides. If the Queen looked to the right until now, Charles will look to the left in the future.
banknotes:
The Queen is also depicted on all Bank of England banknotes, unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have their own banknotes. According to the BBC, there are currently 4.5 billion banknotes worth 80 billion pounds (about 91.4 billion euros) in circulation. There are no concrete plans for a redesign of the accounts yet, but it is expected that this will come.
Stamps and mailboxes:
All postage stamps bearing the Queen’s effigy will also remain valid, the Royal Mail confirmed shortly after the monarch’s death. However, no more new stamps are made with the outline of the late Queen. Only after the funeral will The Post consult with Buckingham Palace and then provide information about the new stamps at “the right time”. The mailboxes with the initials ER II (which stands for the Latin royal title: Elizabeth Regina II) will be preserved. However, it is expected that new mailboxes will bear the initials for Charles, CR III (Charles Rex III.).
Ministries and authorities:
The UK government departments and agencies bear the “Her Majesty’s” attribute, e.g. the Inland Revenue is referred to as “Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs”. Since English uses the third person here, the personal pronoun on websites, signs, and stationery should be changed to “His” unless it was already simply used as an abbreviation HM. When and to what extent these changes will take place, the government has not yet been able to comply with a request from the German News Agency.
Justice:
Since the death of Elizabeth II, lawyers in Britain, so-called barristers, no longer call themselves Queen’s Counsel (QC) but King’s Counsel (KC). The change came into effect immediately after the Queen’s death, a spokeswoman for the Bar Association said, according to the PA news agency. Some of the individual dishes also need to be renamed. The Queen’s Bench Division of the London High Court is now the King’s Bench Division.
Seal for suppliers to the court:
The monarch, his or her partner and the heir apparent grant manufacturers of certain products the right to bear a seal with the respective coat of arms as purveyor to the court. This right expires two years after the death of a royal. According to the BBC, the stamps awarded by Charles as Prince of Wales may still be used, but Prince William, as the new bearer of this title, also has the right to name suppliers to the court.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
