Sir Winston Churchill and other historic figures currently featured on British banknotes are set to be replaced by wildlife under plans announced by the Bank of England following a nationwide public consultation.
The central bank confirmed that future designs for £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes will focus on animals, birds and other aspects of the natural world, marking a significant departure from more than half a century of celebrating historical personalities on UK currency.
Figures who could eventually disappear from circulation include the wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, novelist Jane Austen, landscape painter JMW Turner, and mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing.
While the historical portraits will gradually be phased out, the monarch will continue to appear on the reverse side of all British banknotes.
The shift follows a major public consultation conducted by the Bank of England to determine what theme should appear on the next generation of banknotes.
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