Images of animals will appear on the next series of Bank of England banknotes, as the central bank moves away from historical figures such as William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Jane Austen in 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,” said Victoria Cleland, chief teller at the Bank of England.
Bank of England banknotes have featured monarchs since Queen Elizabeth first appeared on one in 1960, while Shakespeare was the first historical figure to appear in 1970.
King Charles’ portrait will also continue to appear on the next series of banknotes, the Bank of England said.
The Bank of England held a consultation on a change to the banknote design in July 2025, asking for public opinion.
The nature theme received support from 60% of the 44,000 responses, narrowly surpassing the category of “architecture and monuments” with 56% and “notable historical figures” with 38%. Other categories included “arts, culture and sport”, “innovation” and “notable milestones”.
The new banknotes will include wildlife native to the UK and will not include domestic pets, the Bank of England said. It plans to hold a second consultation in the coming months, asking for public views on specific animals to feature in notes taken from a list created by British wildlife experts.
The Bank of England is not the only banknote producer in the United Kingdom. Seven commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland also issue banknotes.
