With the death of his mother on Thursday, 8 September, King Charles III is now sovereign. In the coming days and weeks, there will be many administrative and bureaucratic changes. However, two main facets of life in the United Kingdom will remain the same.
Royal Mail has confirmed that all stamps with The Queen appearing will remain useable after her death. The Press Association on Twitter shared their statement:
“Following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Mail has confirmed that stamps bearing the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II remain valid for use.”
New stamps bearing King Charles’s appearance will be issued in the coming months. Postboxes with Queen Elizabeth’s royal cypher will be left, but new postboxes will feature the new monarch’s cypher.
Coins and bills with The Queen’s face will also remain legal tender. There are over four billion banknotes in circulation with her image on them, and it will take two years or longer to replace them. They are still considered legal tender and should be used.
Going forward, new banknotes will be issued with King Charles’s image. Coins may take longer to replace, but we can expect to see a new design proposed in the coming months.
The first immediate changes are already taking effect, with the national anthem once again sung as “God Save the King.”
