Queen Elizabeth II Death: Here's How Stamps, Money, Passports & Flags Will Undergo Changes
The late Queen's face is regularly seen in the UK as it features on its currency and stamps, but this may undergo a change following her death and her son, King Charles III, ascending to the throne
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, after a record-breaking reign of 70 years. The longest-serving British monarch will be laid to rest on September 19 next to her husband Prince Philip at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen passed away at 96, and now her son, Charles, is the new King of the UK.
The late Queen's face is regularly seen in the UK as it features on its currency and stamps, but this will undergo a change following her death and her son, King Charles III, ascending to the throne.
Know How Will Currency, Stamps, National Anthem, Passport And Flags Will Change Following Queen Elizabeth II Death
There will be a slew of changes in money following the death of Her Majesty, but the Bank of England's governor informed that notes carrying the Queen's head will still remain legal tender, according to news publication Mirror. In fact, there won’t be any change in the cash for some time.
Although King Charles III ascended the throne, it is unlikely that there will be any imminent change in the money. At the time when Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, it wasn't until a year she appeared on money. The notes with the Queen's face were not introduced until 1960.
Experts believe that changes in the coin designs may happen slower than the changes for banknotes and during the changeover public will have a mix of monarchs on their currency.
There are 29 billion coins in the UK currently and every single one has Queen Elizabeth's face on it, according to the BBC report.
The Queen featured on all Bank of England notes since 1960 (notes issued by Scottish and Northern Irish banks do not show the monarch). There are about 4.5 billion individual Bank of England notes worth about £80bn in circulation at the moment, added BBC report.
The Bank of England will inform about any change in the notes through a notice.
Postboxes And Stamps
Royal Mail post boxes reflecting Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Cypher, EIIR, are not likely to be removed, according to the Mirror report. The Royal Cypher depicts an E and an R - E for Elizabeth and R for Regina, which means Queen.
Interestingly, more than 60 per cent of the 115,000 post boxes in the UK bear the Royal Cypher of the Queen, but in Scotland, they feature the Scottish crown.
There are fewer chances that the post boxes will be removed in the near future, but stamps are expected to change.
All stamps issued since 1967 by the Royal Mail have embossed silhouettes of the side profile of the Queen. The Royal Mail, which manages post will not stop producing stamps with her face on, according to the BBC report.
All the stamps with her face can be used until the end of January 2023, it said. Also, the new King has been depicted on stamps earlier including on the ones released for his 70th birthday in 2018. However, the Royal Mail hasn’t confirmed what the new designs will look like, as per the Mirror report.
Will The Royal Arms Change?
The Royal Arms found on the government premises and stationary could undergo changes following the Queen's death. This can be often seen on goods alongside the words, "By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen" and such products have been granted a Royal Warrant.
King Charles III's warrants that got issued when he was the Prince of Wales will remain now as they go with the household, not the title, stated the Mirror report.
It is now expected that the new monarch will grant his son and heir to the throne, Prince William, the ability to issue his own Royal Warrants.
What About The Flags?
It is expected that thousands of flags will change as they bear the late Queen's cypher, EIIR. Military regiments fly “Queen’s colours”, which are usually studded with a golden embroidered EIIR.
The Royal Standard flag may also undergo a major change. The version used by the Queen includes one quarter representing Scotland with a lion rampant, one for Ireland with a harp, and two representing England with three lions.
The flag did not have a section for Wales but this will soon be changed after the former Prince of Wales has been crowned as the King.
Passports
All British passports issued under the name of Her Majesty will remain valid for travel. The new passports will be printed with the wording on the inside of the front cover changed to His Majesty.
Also, police forces in England and Wales will change the royal cypher of Queen Elizabeth II in the centre of their helmet plates, while barristers and solicitors appointed by the monarch to be Queen's Counsel will now be known as King's Counsel with immediate effect.
Will The National Anthem Change?
The national anthem changed from "God Save The Queen" to "God Save The King". On September 9, at the memorial service for the late Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, ‘God Save the King’ was sung for the first time since Kings Charles III ascension to the throne.
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