Images of animals will feature on the next series of Bank of England notes, as the central bank moves 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 allows us to showcase the UK’s rich and varied wildlife on the next series of banknotes,” said Victoria Cleland, the BoE’s chief cashier.
Bank of England banknotes have depicted monarchs since the first appearance of Queen Elizabeth in 1960, while Shakespeare was the first historical figure to appear in 1970.
The portrait of King Charles will also continue to appear on the next set of notes, the BoE said.
The BoE has held a consultation on a change to the banknote design in July 2025, seeking public views.
The theme of nature was supported by 60% of the 44,000 responses, narrowly ahead of the “architecture and monuments” category with 56% and “notable historical figures” with 38%. Other categories included “arts, culture and sport,” “innovation” and “remarkable milestones.”
The new banknotes will feature wild animals native to the UK and will not include domestic animals, the BoE said. It plans to hold a second consultation in the coming months, asking for public views on specific animals to be included in notes taken from a list created by British wildlife experts.
The BoE is not the only banknote producer in the UK. The notes are also produced by seven commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
