Bank of England’s Next Banknotes Will Swap Turner and Churchill for UK Wildlife
Britain’s next banknotes are set to trade portraits of famous Britons for the country’s native wildlife, the Bank of England (BOE) announced last week — a shift that will eventually remove painter J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) from the £20 note, alongside Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, and Alan Turing from other denominations.
The change follows a public consultation launched in July 2025, when the BOE asked respondents to weigh six possible themes for a future series of notes. The bank said it evaluated options against criteria including whether a theme “symbolises the UK,” “resonates with the public,” “is not divisive,” and “is enduring.”
More than 44,000 responses were submitted, with participants allowed to select multiple categories and propose their own ideas. “Nature” emerged as the most popular choice, selected by 60 percent of respondents. “Architecture and Landmarks” followed at 56 percent. “Notable Historical Figures” drew 38 percent, while “Arts, Culture and Sport” received 30 percent.
Victoria Cleland, the BOE’s chief cashier, framed the decision as both practical and symbolic. “The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience,” she said in a statement, adding that a redesign also offers “an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK.” Cleland noted that nature is “a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective,” suggesting that the visual complexity of wildlife imagery can support anti-counterfeiting features.
Even with the thematic pivot, the BOE said each note will continue to carry an image of the British monarch, as well as a representation of the UK’s four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
To determine which animals and plants will appear, the BOE has appointed a six-person panel to develop an initial list of candidates. That shortlist will be put to another public consultation this summer, and members of the public will also be able to suggest additional wildlife once the process opens.
The expert group includes wildlife broadcasters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff, and Nadeem Perera; professors Steve Ormerod of Cardiff University and Dawn Scott of Nottingham Trent University; and Katy Bell, a senior conservationist at the nonprofit Ulster Wildlife.
“The wildlife of the UK is not separate from our culture,” Perera said in a statement. “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.”
The BOE has not provided a release date for the new series, saying only that it will arrive in “a few years.” In a release, the bank emphasized that the “complexity of banknotes means it is a detailed, multi-year process to design, test and print them, ensuring they are high-quality, resilient and accessible.”
The forthcoming wildlife notes will replace the current lineup of historical figures: former prime minister Winston Churchill on the £5, author Jane Austen on the £10, mathematician Alan Turing on the £50, and Turner on the £20. Turner’s presence on British currency has carried particular resonance in the art world. The Romantic painter bequeathed around 100 finished paintings — along with hundreds of unfinished works, watercolors, and drawings — to the British nation upon his death in 1851. His name also lives on through the annual Turner Prize, awarded by Tate to a contemporary artist each year.
The BOE has issued banknotes since its founding in 1694. Historical figures first appeared on its notes in 1970. The current G series began rolling out in 2016 with the polymer £5 note featuring Churchill, marking a shift from long-used paper cotton notes to polymer printing.
If the BOE’s timeline holds, the next redesign will not only refresh the look of British cash but also recast what — and who — the nation chooses to place in the palm of its hand.
