First look at new King Charles banknotes

The first pictures of banknotes featuring King Charles' portrait have been revealed by the Bank of England.

The King's image will appear on £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes, the Bank said, adding there would be no other changes to the existing designs.

He is only the second monarch to ever feature on Bank of England notes.

The portrait will appear on the front of the notes, and in the transparent security window.

The new notes will start to enter circulation from mid-2024, though existing notes featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II will still be accepted in shops, meaning notes featuring the Queen and King Charles will co-circulate, the Bank said.

"In line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the environmental and financial impact of this change, new notes will only be printed to replace worn banknotes and to meet any overall increase in demand for banknotes," it added in a press release.

Speaking ahead of the release, Governor Andrew Bailey said he was "proud" and hailed the announcement of the new design as a "significant moment."

The first 50p coins bearing the image of the King are already in circulation as of earlier this month.

The King’s portrait appear's on one side of the 50p, with the reverse, or “tails” side of the coin, commemorating the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.

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