Why Royal Fans Think King Charles' Banknote Reveal Is A Bittersweet Moment For The Monarch
King Charles III has had the opportunity to see the new banknotes that feature his own portrait, marking a truly historic moment. On April 9, the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey visited Buckingham Palace to show Charles what the new money will look like, and needless to say, he was impressed. Yet, many fans of the royals believe that this special occasion may not have been entirely positive for Charles; the connection this moment has to his late mother surely gave him some mixed emotions.
In the history of the Bank of England, Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to ever be featured on banknotes. Hearing this fact, Charles even commented, "This is what is so surprising. You would think that it goes back," per BBC. Elizabeth first graced banknotes in 1960, and she's been the face of currency in the UK ever since — until now. With money looking the same way for over six decades, this forthcoming change is sure to have an impact on everyone who uses it. For Charles, though, it is understandably more loaded. Coins featuring Charles have already been in circulation since 2022, yet the UK's currency will look very different when these new banknotes begin circulating in June. Upon getting a sneak peek, Charles was gracious and called the banknotes "very elegant." Yet, it's difficult to ignore how Elizabeth's role in this occasion might be affecting the king and how it must feel to replace her on such an iconic symbol.
The banknotes mark another step in the monarchy moving forward
Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, King Charles III has taken over as the monarch and dutifully followed in his mother's footsteps. Surely there have been many aspects of this very unorthodox career promotion that have been emotionally challenging for Charles. After all, he has known his whole life that he would one day take on this role — but only after the death of his mother. Now, he has seen the £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes that feature his own face — the only face he has ever seen grace them other than the late queen's.
A video from the Royal Family Channel shows Charles seeing the new banknotes for the first time, and the comment section highlighted just how difficult this experience likely was for Charles. "It has to feel very strange for the King to see his portrait on bills after so many years of his mother being on them," one commenter noted. Another echoed this sentiment, saying, "Must be said that even for Charles it must be a strange moment seeing HIS picture on the money. His mum will flash through his mind." Another comment said that despite the history being made with these banknotes, "it must still be a bittersweet moment." Surely Charles is thinking of Elizabeth in this moment, but luckily, he knows that this progression is exactly what his mother wanted.