The national anthem of Britain will be “God Save the King,” with male-version lyrics that have not been sung since 1952.
With the accession of Charles to the throne, many aspects of life in Britain and beyond will change, from the national anthem to notes, coins, stamps, postboxes, and passports: a great deal will change.
It is inevitable that the names of many institutions throughout Britain and the wider Commonwealth realms will be changed as a result of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
In the meantime, the effigy of the old monarch on the currency and the cipher on the insignia will also be replaced with those of the new monarch.
It will not be long before the effigy of the new monarch begins to appear on coins and banknotes around the world.
On several currencies, you can find this image on the obverse of coins, including the East Caribbean dollar, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, and the New Zealand dollar.
In addition to the British crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, as well as the overseas territories of Gibraltar, St. Helena, and the Falkland Islands, all the British crown dependencies produce their own sterling currency.
During the 326-day reign of king Edward VIII from 1936 to 1937, trial coins were struck, but he abdicated before coins to be circulated in the public domain were minted.
I like to point out that all British stamps, just like the coins, feature the monarch’s head facing the opposite way than the previous monarch.
As a result, the EIIR royal cipher, for Elizabeth II Regina, will have to be changed on the new post boxes.
There will also be a change to the insignia on police helmets.
Anthem and passports
There will be a change in Britain’s national anthem from “God Save the King” to the male-version lyrics of “God Save the King” this will catch many people by surprise as the lyrics have not been sung since 1952.
In addition, it is also the national anthem of New Zealand and the royal anthem of Australia and Canada.
Due to the fact that British passports are issued in the name of the monarchy, the wording on the inside cover will need to be updated.
In the words of Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State, this document states that all those to whom it may concern are requested and required in the name of Her Majesty to allow the bearer to pass freely without hindrance or obstruction and to provide the bearer with whatever assistance or protection that may be necessary.
A similar text can also be found inside the passports of Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders.
During formal gatherings, the toast to the head of state changes from simply “The Queen” to “The King” in order to acknowledge the head of state’s loyalty.
The unofficial toast in the Channel Islands changes from “La Reine, Notre Duc” — said in French and toasting the monarch as the duke of Normandy — to “le Roi, Notre Duc”, which refers to the monarch in English.
Politics, law, king’s speech
There will have to be a change in the names of Her Majesty’s government, Treasury and Customs, and Excise.
At the state opening of parliament, the king will deliver a speech from the throne, outlining the government’s agenda for the next five years.
It will be impossible for new recruits to take Her Majesty’s shilling to sign up, adhere to Her Majesty’s regulations once in the ranks, or board one of Her Majesty’s ships in the future, as they will no longer have to metaphorically accept the queen’s shilling.
There is a change of name for the Queen’s Guard, which is normally seen outside Buckingham Palace.
The police will no longer be responsible for maintaining the peace in the presence of the queen.
There will be a change in the law where senior lawyers will no longer be referred to as QCs (Queen’s Counsel) but rather as KCs (King’s Counsels), and the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court will also revert to the king.
There is a difference between turning the king’s evidence instead of turning the queen’s evidence when a suspect admits guilt and testifies against his accomplices in exchange for a lenient sentence.
In the beginning, prisoners may feel relieved to find out they will no longer be incarcerated at Her Majesty’s pleasure but their joy will be short-lived as they will continue to serve their jail terms at His Majesty’s pleasure instead.
There will be a change of ownership at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, where the show “The Phantom of the Opera” has been running since 1986, and will be renamed His Majesty’s Theatre.
If the Queen’s English becomes the King’s English, then speakers of Received Pronunciation, the poshest and most socially prestigious accent in the world, will have to aspire to Charles’ vowels and diphthongs once the Queen’s English becomes the King’s English.
In spite of this, the Queen’s English itself changed over time. In later speeches, her accent became less plummy as compared to earlier ones.