UK banknotes to feature wildlife in place of humans

Images of animals will feature on the next series of banknotes from the Bank ​of England, as the central bank shifts away from ‌historical figures such as William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Jane Austen over 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,” Victoria Cleland, ⁠the BoE’s chief cashier, said.

Bank of England banknotes have featured ​monarchs since Queen Elizabeth first appeared on one in 1960, while ​Shakespeare was the first historic figure to appear in 1970.

King Charles’ portrait will continue to appear on the next series of notes as well, the ​BoE said.

The BoE held a consultation on a change to ​the design of banknotes in July 2025, inviting views from the public.

The theme ‌of ⁠nature was supported by 60% of the 44,000 responses, narrowly beating the category of “architecture and landmarks” on 56% and “notable historical figures” on 38%. Other categories included “arts, culture and sport”, “innovation” and “noteworthy milestones”.

The new ​notes will feature ​wildlife native ⁠to the United Kingdom and will not include household pets, the BoE said. It plans to ​run a second consultation in the coming months asking ​for ⁠the public’s views on specific animals to feature on the notes taken from a list created by British wildlife experts.

The BoE is ⁠not the ​only producer of banknotes in the ​United Kingdom. Notes are also produced by seven commercial banks in Scotland and Northern ​Ireland.