The new Australian $5 note will not have the face of King Charles III

While his late mother, Queen Elizabeth IIhas long been (and currently is) the familiar face depicted on the australian 5 dollar bill, now it has been announced that the effigy of King Charles III it will not replace his mother’s on newly issued banknotes. In her place will be an image that honors Australia’s indigenous peoples and history.

“Reserve Bank has decided to update the $5 bill with a new design that it honors the culture and history of early Australians» thus announced the Australian central bank. «The new drawing will replace the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II»

The King will appear on the new Australian coins, but no members of the British royal family will be featured on the new banknotes (although the Reserve Bank he noted that it will take a few years for the new $5 note to be in circulation and that he will consult members of Australia’s Indigenous community about the design). Officials stressed that no one had ever guaranteed that the King would replace his mother on the banknote upon his accession to the throne.

The late Queen has appeared on the $5 polymer bill since July 1992, when the 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne. While there are multiple designs in each Australian banknote series, some of which currently depict Indigenous Australians and artwork, the portrait of the reigning British monarch typically appears on at least one banknote.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albaneseis a republican and intends to hold a referendum on whether Australians want break ties with the monarchy British. Following the Queen’s death in December, Albanese said there would be no referendum on the issue until her eventual second term. The last election was held in 1999, when the Republicans were narrowly defeated.

The death of the longest-serving monarch in British history has sparked debate over whether her son and heir should replace her in the new currency. At the time, the Reserve Bank also floated the possibility that the $5 bill would come soon redesigned.

Jim Chalmersan Australian Labor Party member currently serving as Treasurer, told al Times that the new banknote “recognizes and celebrates the culture, history and heritage of Indigenous Australians”. And he added: “It’s an opportunity to find a good balance. The monarch will still be featured on the coins, but the $5 bill will speak more about our history and cultural heritage and I see that as a good thing.”

Pro-monarchists did not appreciate the decision at all, with Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Liberal Party, protesting: “There is no doubt about this, the hand of the government is behind it. I consider this an attack on our systems, to our society and to our institutions”. Chalmers explained that the government has been consulted on the matter by the Reserve Bank.

On the adverse side, Lydia Thorpe, a politician who represents Australia’s Greens and is the first Aboriginal Senator elected in the state of Victoria, said on Twitter: “This is a great victory for the grassroots, for the First Nations people who have fought to decolonize this country. First Nations people have never surrendered their sovereignty to any King or Queen, ever. It’s time for a Republic of Treaties!”

Before the late Queen appeared on the banknote in 1992, it bore the image of Caroline Chisholm, a philanthropist and humanitarian born in Northampton and moved to Sydney in 1992, where she supported i rights of immigrant women and spending on policies to support families. The decision to remove Chisholm from the note attracted some criticism from Republicans at the time.

The Reserve Bank stated, however, that the portrait of the reigning monarch was always present on at least one banknote (generally the one with the lowest value), reflecting Australia’s status as a constitutional monarchy. The Queen had previously appeared on a 1 dollarbut this was taken out of circulation in 1984, to be replaced by a 1 dollar coin.