Key facts
- Bank of England will remove historical figures from banknotes.
- Future banknotes will feature UK wildlife.
- An internal study found historical figures "elitist and divisive."
- The decision was influenced by advice that figures were not representative of UK diversity.
- The Bank of England announced in March that it would end its use of historical figures.
The Bank of England has decided to remove notable British figures from its banknotes following advice that these individuals were "elitist and divisive" and not representative of the UK's cultural and natural diversity. An internal study commissioned from market research firm Savanta reportedly found figures like Winston Churchill, Alan Turing, and Jane Austen to be "contentious." Savanta advised replacing portraits with nature imagery, arguing that historical figures projected a "backward-looking vision of the UK" and were viewed as "imperialistic," "potentially divisive," and "elitist." The Bank of England announced in March that the next series of banknotes would feature UK wildlife, stating that nature-themed designs received the strongest support in public consultations and would be harder to counterfeit. Critics, however, have condemned the move as "wrongheaded wokery" and an attempt to erase British history, viewing it as part of a broader "diversity overhaul" seen across major UK institutions reassessing legacies of empire and colonialism. The Bank of England has featured historical figures on banknotes for over half a century, starting with William Shakespeare in 1970.