Bank of England to feature British wildlife on new notes

The move follows a consultation last summer in which the UK wildlife theme received the highest proportion of nominations, at 60%, from 44,000 responses. Architecture and landmarks came second with 56%, while notable historical figures was third with 38%. A second consultation will run this summer to collect views on the specific wildlife the notes should feature.

The new notes will feature wildlife native to the UK, including plants, landscapes and animals, but will not include household pets. Representation of the Home Nations — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — will also be an important factor in the design. The notes will incorporate the latest anti-counterfeiting technology, and it will be a few years before they are issued. According to the Bank of England, the change to wildlife imagery will make it more difficult for the notes to be counterfeited and make security features more distinguishable.

King Charles' portrait will continue to appear on the next series of notes. The banknotes have displayed monarchs since Queen Elizabeth was first featured in 1960, while Shakespeare was the first historical figure to be chosen in 1970.

Victoria Cleland, Chief Cashier at the Bank of England, 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."

It remains unclear which specific wildlife species will be featured, when exactly the new banknotes will be issued, and how the public consultation process will work for choosing the wildlife.