Wildlife to replace humans on next series of UK banknotes

[LONDON] Images of animals will feature on the next series of banknotes from the Bank of England, as the central bank shifts away from historical figures such as William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Jane Austen over the coming years.

“Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK’s rich and varied wildlife on the next series of banknotes,” Victoria Cleland, the BoE’s chief cashier, said.

Bank of England banknotes have featured monarchs since Queen Elizabeth first appeared on one in 1960, while Shakespeare was the first historic figure to appear in 1970.

King Charles’ portrait will continue to appear on the next series of notes as well, the BoE said.

The BoE held a consultation on a change to the design of banknotes in July 2025, inviting views from the public.

The theme of nature was supported by 60 per cent of the 44,000 responses, narrowly beating the category of “architecture and landmarks” on 56 per cent and “notable historical figures” on 38 per cent. Other categories included “arts, culture and sport”, “innovation” and “noteworthy milestones”.

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The new notes will feature wildlife native to the United Kingdom and will not include household pets, the BoE said.

It plans to run a second consultation in the coming months asking for the public’s views on specific animals to feature on the notes taken from a list created by British wildlife experts.

The BoE is not the only producer of banknotes in the United Kingdom. Notes are also produced by seven commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland. REUTERS