The UK is preparing to welcome the small changes that will affect everyday life
The death of Elizabeth II put an end to a historical era. A season of change has begun for the United Kingdom, which will also involve what the BBC calls “royal rebranding”. To change will be the iconography of the monarch portrayed on stamps and coins, the national anthem and some prayers in which there is the mention of the queen.
What happens after the Queen’s death – The direct by the editorial staff
The text of the national anthem was immediately changed: no longer “God Save Our Gracious Queen”, but “God Save Our Gracious King”. The new version will be sung by the British people during the proclamation of the king, but it is likely that, after 70 years of reign, it will take some time before the general public sings it naturally. Entered into use in 1745 with a different text (“God save the great George, our king, long live our noble king, God save the king”), the English anthem is the oldest in the world.
With the ascent to the throne of Charles III, the flags flying outside the police stations and the banners on military ships will also have to change, because they are decorated with the initials EIIR (Elizabeth II Regina, with the use of Latin for numbers and title) . It is possible that the royal banner – the one found wherever the monarch resides – also changes.
The most important change, however, will concern the currency. It is estimated that there are 4.5 billion sterling banknotes with the queen’s face on them in circulation, worth about 80 billion pounds, while there are 29 billion coins in circulation with the effigy of Elizabeth. The Royal Mint has not yet explained how or when it will start issuing pounds with the head of King Charles III, but it is likely that the coin of the Queen will remain in circulation for many years and that the replacement process will also be gradual for banknotes.
The future portrait of the King is not yet known, but clues can give us an idea of what it will look like. From a coin issued in 2018 for his 70th birthday, it is clear that he will be depicted facing left, in the opposite direction from the Queen. On the other hand, tradition dictates it, which on coins provides for the alternation of the direction of the face for each new monarch. Once approved by the government, the new designs will be produced by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales. For the time being, all banknotes and coins will continue to be legal tender.
The image of the monarch will also change on postage stamps. The latter were replaced with the portrait of Elizabeth II a couple of weeks after King George VI’s death in 1952. The original ones were replaced with a profile photo of the Queen in 1967, in a set known as the Machin series and have not been since. never been updated, perhaps at the request of the Queen herself. The seal affixed to mailboxes will also need to be changed, but since the number of new mailboxes installed is quite low, it may take some time before you see one with the new seal. Some with the initials GR of King George VI still remain in use today, 70 years later.
The queen was also the “defender of the faith and the supreme governor” of the Church of England. The texts of the prayers written for her in the Book of Common Prayer will need to be changed for the new monarch. On the other hand, Royal Warrants – that is, royal warrants given since the 15th century to those who supply goods or services to the Court – risk losing their status after the Queen’s death, unless they are granted a new mandate by her successor or by another member of the royal family.
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