Can a Hedgehog Replace Winston Churchill? See Which Animals May Soon Swap in for Historical Figures on British Pounds

Butterflies, dolphins and puffins are among the options the public will vote on to grace new banknotes

Christian Thorsberg | Daily Correspondent

June 3, 2026 4:37 p.m.

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For more than 50 years, British banknotes have featured the faces of familiar historical figures. Soon, that tradition will change, when the currency of the United Kingdom gets a surprising redesign influenced by the public.

This week, the Bank of England announced the shortlist of 18 animals that may soon appear on £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes.

It’s a significant shift. The Duke of Wellington and Elizabeth Fry appeared for years at a time on fivers; while tenners were occupied by Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. William Shakespeare and Adam Smith, among others, have graced the £20 note, while Christopher Wren and the duo of Matthew Boulton and James Watt have occupied the £50.

Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait adorned the front of banknotes starting in 1960. King Charles III banknotes started circulating in 2024.

The country’s current designs launched in 2016, with Winston Churchill appearing on the £5 note followed by Jane Austen on the tenner soon after, then painter J.M.W. Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing, founding father of modern computer science, on the £50.

Banknotes need periodic updates to fend off counterfeiting. A public poll held in 2025 to decide the theme for a new series of British notes—and which received 44,000 responses—saw “nature” (60 percent of votes) narrowly edge “architecture and landmarks,” (56 percent) with “notable historical figures” falling to a distant third place (38 percent).

“This is a powerful reminder of how deeply people feel connected to and value British wildlife,” Ali Fisher, the founder and director of sustainability consultancy Plans with Purpose, told Euronews’ Angela Symons in March. “It’s a beautiful opportunity to put biodiversity literally in all our hands.”

The intervening months have been filled with opinion pieces arguing which animals would be the most fitting for different notes, as well as criticisms from some politicians about replacing historical figures with creatures.

“I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes,” Victoria Cleland, Bank of England chief cashier, says in a statement. “The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the U.K.”

The animals, all native to the United Kingdom, are split into three groups—mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish—each with six species apiece.

The mammals are: bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, pine marten and red fox.

The birds are: Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker and white-tailed eagle.

And the amphibians, insects and fish are: Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, emperor dragonfly and marsh fritillary butterfly.

The public will have until July 3 to vote on up to two animals from each group. The results will then be considered by the Bank of England, which has said that ensuring the new notes are visually distinct is a top priority. If need be, bank leaders may need to swap out a winner from the popular vote.

Some environmental groups have said the 18-animal shortlist is a missed opportunity to educate the public on less charismatic species that need better protections and appreciation.

“Gulls, badgers, rats and pigeons all divide opinion—but this would have been a great opportunity to discuss these fantastic animals,” Ros Clubb, head of wild animals at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says in a statement. “They're all amazing in their own right. Pigeons, with their war hero history; gulls, who are dedicated to their families and their co-parenting responsibilities; rats—who are incredibly empathetic and intelligent; and the badger—the master architect of a network of underground cities!”

There is not yet an update on when the new banknotes will be launched after the animals are chosen, but the Bank of England said in a statement that it would take “a number of years.”

Christian Thorsberg | Read More

Christian Thorsberg is an environmental writer and photographer from Chicago. His work, which often centers on freshwater issues, climate change and subsistence, has appeared in Circle of Blue, Sierra magazine, Discover magazine and Alaska Sporting Journal.