Australia removing British monarch from bank notes
Jack Birle
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Australia‘s new 5 dollar bank note will not feature King Charles III, the country’s Reserve Bank announced Thursday.
The commonwealth country is opting to replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the note with a portrait that honors “the culture and history of the First Australians.”
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“The Reserve Bank has decided to update the $5 banknote to feature a new design that honours the culture and history of the First Australians,” the Reserve Bank of Australia said in a statement. “This new design will replace the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The other side of the $5 banknote will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.”
The decision not to maintain the British monarch on the bank note was made in consultation with the country’s government. The redesign will be made in consultation with First Australians.
The bank said the redesign process will take several years and that the design featuring the queen will still be issued. It added that the design with the late queen will still be valid currency even after the new design is issued.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton slammed the changes to the bank note, saying it is “another attack on our systems, on our society and our institutions,” in an interview with 2GB Radio. He added he believes the change was directed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and that Albanese should “own up to it.”
“I just think you’ve got to stand up and a lot more Australians have to be heard. I know the silent majority don’t agree with a lot of the woke nonsense that goes on, but we’ve got to hear more from those people online, and business leaders have to speak up against it as well,” Dutton said.
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Charles is still set to appear on coins in the commonwealth country.
The coronation of Charles as king is set for May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. The 74-year-old ascended to the British throne on Sept. 8, 2022, when his mother, Elizabeth, died after 70 years on the throne.