The Bank of England has confirmed Sir Winston Churchill will be scrapped from banknotes and replaced with images of wildlife.
The central bank will soon ask the public which animals they want to appear on the next set of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes – but confirmed the wartime hero Prime Minister would not be staying.
The move to replace historical figures with animals was described as “significant” and “overdue” by celebrity bird-watcher Nadeem Perera, who sits on the bank’s panel of wildlife experts who will choose which English species will appear on the next set of banknotes.
A public consultation, held in 2025, revealed that nature was the most popular theme for banknote imagery.
Some 60 per cent of respondents chose the theme ahead of architecture and landmarks, notable historical figures, arts, culture and sport, innovation, and noteworthy milestones.
While the monarch will remain on the notes’ front, the decision will remove historical figures including Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing.
Mr Perera said: “The wildlife of the UK is not separate from our culture.
“It sits in our football crests, our folklore, our coastlines and our childhoods. Giving it space on something as symbolic as our currency feels both overdue and significant.”
Other experts on the panel include broadcasters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff, academics Steve Ormerod and Dawn Scott, and Ulster Wildlife’s Katy Bell.
Giving wildlife space on Britain’s currency is an ‘overdue and significant’ decision, Nadeem Perera said
|
GETTY
Bank of England executives have insisted the decision is to increase resilience against counterfeits.
Victoria Cleland, its chief cashier, said: “The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience, but it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK.
“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.”
The new banknotes will incorporate “the latest anti-counterfeiting technology” and will be introduced in a few years’ time.
BRITISH HISTORY ERASED? READ MORE:
Sir Winston Churchill and Jane Austen will both be replaced on the next generation of banknotes
|
GETTY
This summer, the public will be invited to weigh in on which native animals from the shortlist they would like on banknotes – though household pets will not be considered.
The Bank of England’s choice of historical figures have previously faced controversy.
In 2013, then-Governor Mark Carney faced scrutiny after there were no women represented on the banknotes other than Queen Elizabeth II.
Ethnic minority historical figures have also never been featured on banknotes, a trend which has even sparked its own campaign group, “Banknotes of Colour”.
An otter currently features on banknotes commissioned by the Royal Bank of Scotland
|
GETTY
The Bank of England will first hold a public consultation on which animals Britons would like to see on their banknotes, before being introduced in a few years
|
GETTY
Tory MP Helen Grant introduced a Bill in 2019 to urge the Bank of England to introduce a minority face to banknotes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament in the eight months before that year’s General Election.
Wildlife already appears on some British banknotes, with notes introduced by the Royal Bank of Scotland including mackerel, otters, red squirrels, and osprey.
The Bank of England added that Home Nations representation will be an “important factor” in their design.
