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British King Charles III received the first banknotes with his portrait on Tuesday at Buckingham Palace from the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey.
Source: BELGA
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It was a major milestone for 75-year-old King Charles, who is being treated for cancer just over a year and a half into his reign. He inspected the banknotes of 5, 10, 20 and 50 British pounds.
He is only the second British monarch to appear on Bank of England banknotes and it is the first time that the portrait of one monarch has been replaced by another.
Although banknotes have been issued since the late 17th century, Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the first British monarch to receive the honor, on a paper £1 note in 1960. Before that, Lady Britannia, as a symbol of the United Kingdom and England, on the notes.
The money will be gradually put into circulation from June 5. The people on the back remain the same, with former Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the 5 pound note, writer Jane Austen on the 10 note, painter William Turner on the 20 note and mathematician Alan Turing on the 50 note.
Existing notes featuring the late queen’s portrait will remain legal tender, so the notes of Elizabeth II and King Charles III will continue to circulate together.
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