Though it was his first Remembrance Sunday service as monarch, King Charles III kept his late mother close, wearing the cypher of Queen Elizabeth II on his military uniform at the Cenotaph.
This is due to a gradual process that will see the late Queen’s cypher retired from military uniforms only as badges, buttons and other insignia run out; until then, military personnel will continue to wear ‘EIIR’ on their uniforms and new uniforms will be issued with ‘EIIR’ as well.
King Charles, the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Wessex, and the Princess Royal were all sporting The Queen’s cypher at the Remembrance Sunday service. Eventually, they will be replaced with ‘CIIIR’ over a Tudor Crown, the cypher of King Charles III.
This is usual for new reigns: Queen Elizabeth II’s soldiers wore the cyphers of her late father, King George VI, for years before hers were issued. In late September, when King Charles’s cypher was revealed for the first time, David White, Garter King of Arms, said that soldiers were still wearing King George VI’s cyphers until the late ‘60s.
It is likely, though, that the King and members of the Royal Family will have their cyphers switched out sooner rather than later, while for the wider Armed Forces, the change will only occur once existing stock is depleted.
The King’s cypher will also be placed on all government buildings, state documents and mail issued from Buckingham Palace, as well as new post boxes. Postboxes that already have a past monarch’s cypher will not be updated with King Charles’s.
Queen Camilla’s cypher was introduced last week, another stylised ‘CR’ to represent Camilla Regina (the Latin for ‘Queen’) over a crown. Her cypher will be used on letterhead, cards and other official documents originating from the Queen Consort’s office.
