Queen Elizabeth II is preferred to be the face of new bank notes over King Charles by children, new polling has revealed.
The Bank of England announced earlier this year that the next series of new notes will feature nature, replacing historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Jane Austin.
Four animals from a shortlist of 18 – for separate £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes – will be chosen, following public consultation.
The face of King Charles will continue to be emblazoned on the front of the notes.
Ahead of the new banknotes, Merlin Strategy spoke to British children aged 7-11 to see their preferences.
For the animal, 49 per cent of children asked would prefer a red fox.
However, interestingly, half of those asked would like to see the face of Queen Elizabeth II as a historical figure, rather than nature.
In contrast, just 39 per cent would choose King Charles.
Queen Elizabeth II is preferred to be the face of new British bank notes by British children over King Charles, polling has revealed
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In fact, the late Queen, who reigned in Britain for more than seven decades, was the most popular choice for the upcoming series of notes among 7-11 year-olds.
Andrew Fox, acting CEO of Children’s Parliament, said: “It’s fantastic to see children having their say on who and what should appear on our banknotes.
“Whether they’re choosing Queen Elizabeth II or a Red Fox, what really stands out is that children have views just like the rest of the public.
“The findings also show that many children are already interested in politics and feel ready to play a greater role in our democracy.
“Children and young people are affected by the decisions politicians make, and it is vital that we give them the opportunity to learn about those decisions, express their opinions and be taken seriously.”
It comes as the Royal Mint confirmed that more than seven million 10p coins carrying King Charles’ portrait began finding their way into the nation’s purses and pockets for the very first time last week.
More than seven million 10p coins carrying King Charles’ portrait have begun finding their way into the nation’s purses and pockets for the very first time
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PAAdorning the reverse – or more commonly known as “tails” – side is the capercaillie, a striking woodland bird native to the British Isles.
These 10p pieces mark the fourth denomination to bear the King’s face, joining the 5p, 50p and £1 coins that have entered everyday use since 2022.
Remarkably, coins featuring the King’s portrait currently account for merely one per cent of the more than 24 billion pieces.
Notes with the face of King Charles first came into circulation in June 2024.
Notes with the face of King Charles first came into circulation in June 2024
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However, the usage of cash continues to drop. According to a recent report from UK Finance, cash transactions fell to 3.9 billion in 2025, down from 4.3 billion the year before.
As a share of all payments, cash accounted for just eight per cent last year – a dramatic decline from 45 per cent a decade earlier in 2015.
By 2035, the industry body forecasts that figure will halve again to roughly four per cent, amounting to some two billion transactions.
Yet cash remains far from irrelevant. Approximately 1.4 million adults across the country still depend on it as their primary means of day-to-day spending, even as 19 million others use it no more than once a month.