The Bank of England (BOE) announced last week that the next generation of banknotes to be issued will depict native British wildlife rather than historical figures, including painter JMW Turner.
The Bank of England held a consultation in July 2025, asking the public to vote on six categories that could appear in the upcoming notes based on various criteria, including “symbolizing Britain”, “resonating with the public”, “not divisive” and “durable”.
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The Bank of England received more than 44,000 responses to the consultation, with people able to select multiple options or make their own suggestions. In the poll, 60% of the respondents chose “nature” as one of the preferred themes for the new banknote. “Architecture and Landmarks” received 56%, “Famous Historical Figures” received 38%, and “Arts, Culture and Sports” received 30%.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank of England’s chief cashier, said in a statement: “I was delighted with the level of public engagement during last year’s consultation on banknotes.” “This response highlights how important banknotes are to people. The key driver for launching a new range of banknotes has always been to improve security against counterfeiting, but it also provides an opportunity to showcase a different side of Britain. Naturally is a great choice from a banknote authenticity perspective and means we can showcase the UK’s rich and diverse wildlife on the next series of banknotes.”
While the presentation of wildlife on banknotes will vary, each note will continue to feature an image of the British monarch, as well as representatives of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In order to choose which images of British wildlife appear on banknotes, the Bank of England has appointed six experts to create a list of wildlife, which will then be put to a vote in a public consultation this summer. (The public will be able to suggest further wildlife once the consultation begins.)
The Bank of England did not say when the new banknotes would be available, saying only that they would be available “within a few years” and that “the complexity of banknotes means that designing, testing and printing them requires a detailed, multi-year process to ensure they are high quality, resilient and accessible”.
The six experts include wildlife broadcasters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Nadeem Perera; Professor Steve Ormerod (Cardiff University) and Professor Dawn Scott (Nottingham Trent University); and Katy Bell, a senior conservationist at the not-for-profit Ulster Wildlife.
“Britain’s wildlife is not separate from our culture,” Pereira said in a statement. “It’s in our football crest, our folklore, our coastlines and our childhoods. Giving it space in something as symbolic as our currency feels both overdue and momentous.”
Selected depictions will eventually replace the following historical figures: former Prime Minister Winston Churchill (£5), author Jane Austen (£10), mathematician Alan Turing (£50) and Turner (£20), who bequeathed around 100 completed paintings to Britain upon his death in 1851, as well as hundreds of unfinished paintings, watercolors and drawings. Turner is also the namesake of the annual Turner Prize. The Tate honors a contemporary artist each year.
The Bank of England has issued banknotes since its founding in 1694, and historical figures first appeared on banknotes in 1970. The first current G-series note, the Churchill £5 note, was first introduced in 2016 and was printed on polymer to replace the long-standing paper and cotton notes. The Turner £20 note first came into circulation in February 2020.
The Bank of England said in a press release that the upcoming banknotes will also “incorporate the latest security technology”, adding that it “believes wildlife imagery would be most effective in developing banknotes with security features that are easily identifiable and distinguishable by the public”.
