Changes we can expect to see in the UK following Queen Elizabeth II’s death

This entry was posted in For you, News on 21st September 2022 by Matthew Finley.

Following the sad demise of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom has and will continue to face several changes to daily life.

Here is a list of changes the country can expect to see rolled out over the following few months…

Banknotes

One of the most noticeable changes to people’s day-to-day lives following the death of Her Majesty The Queen may be the changes to our banknotes and coins. All currency in the UK currently features the queen’s portrait, and this will eventually be replaced with the king’s portrait.

However, estimates suggest that there are over 4.7 billion Bank of England notes are in circulation, worth around £82 billion – so it is unlikely to be a quick job. In fact, current predictions suggest it may be at least two years before King Charles III’s face appears on them. New coins and banknotes will likely feature our king facing west rather than east, as the queen did – continuing a tradition begun by Charles II in 1660, whereby the new monarch faces the opposite direction to their predecessor.

The national anthem

For the first time in over 70 years, the national and royal anthem has reverted to its original version – as the lyrics have changed from “God Save The Queen” to “God Save The King” – and pronouns have been replaced for ‘he’ and ‘him’.

The familiar iteration of ‘God Save The Queen”, widely sung by audiences across the country in concert halls, sports stadiums and cathedrals, will likely never be heard again in our lifetimes.

Postboxes

All postboxes across the United Kingdom are currently inscribed with ‘EIIR’, which stands for Elizabeth II Regina. These are unlikely to be replaced or removed; however, new postboxes will instead have the king’s cypher – ‘CIIIR’. ‘CIIIR’ stands for Charles III Rex – and ‘rex’ specifically means ‘the king’ in Latin.

Stamps

Royal Mail has announced that any postal stamps featuring Queen Elizabeth II will remain until the end of January 2023 – giving the public around 5 months to use up what they may have at home. New stamps are expected to be launched shortly.

As well as the obvious change from Prince Charles of Wales to King Charles III, further adjustments to royal titles may take the public time to adjust to.

King Charles III’s wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, is now known as Queen Consort. A traditional title for the wife of a reigning monarch, that was specifically bestowed upon Camilla by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who were previously the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now have three titles to their name – and are now the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Additionally, George, Charlotte and Louis are expected to become Princes and Princesses of Wales – along with their parents.

As the United Kingdom moves through this period of mourning and adjustment, we are likely to gain greater clarity on changes involving new banknotes, stamps and post boxes as time goes by.

At DRN, we aim to provide exceptional advice and outstanding service to all of our clients – which is why we take the time to ensure we are up-to-date with all upcoming changes to UK legislation and conventions.