King Charles faces new royal snub over Caribbean banknotes

The latest sign that the royal family’s influence may be waning in some Commonwealth countries is that King Charles III may never appear on banknotes in some Caribbean nations.

Charles remains head of state of many Caribbean nations, but his mother could be the last British monarch to appear on their currency, the Antigua Observer reports.

Timothy NJ Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, said there was “no appetite” in the region to feature the new British monarch on banknotes.

Antoine told a news conference on Thursday: “With the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the question arises rightly: what happens next?

“This is a decision that our Monetary Council, in which the majority are prime ministers, will make in due course.”

Read more: Who Is Samantha Markle? Meghan’s Sister Accuses Duchess of Lying About Rags to Riches Story

He added that he was aware of discussions in the region suggesting that the banknotes should be represented by prominent figures from the Caribbean.

The ECCB is made up of eight island economies – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Antoine added that there will be no changes to the regional currency in the near future as there will be intact banknotes in storage that have a validity period of four years, so Elizabeth’s image will remain on the banknote for the foreseeable future.

Many will see the comments as another affront to the royal family, whose perception in many former colonies has changed in recent years.

Canada has yet to make a decision on whether to keep Charles’s image on its banknotes. The country’s central bank told Global News that the current $20 note featuring Queen Elizabeth II “is expected to remain in circulation for many years.”

Australia has already announced that the king will not replace his mother on the new $5 note. Instead, it will feature a new design that aims to pay tribute to the “culture and history of the first Australians,” the Australian central bank said.

The decision was supported by the centre-left government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which supports Australia becoming a republic, the statement said.

Read more: King Charles: 4 Big Issues the Monarch Must Face Before His Coronation

Support for cutting ties with the royal family is believed to be growing in Australia, although the government has ruled out holding a referendum this term.

Some Caribbean states have already begun the process of severing official ties with the monarchy.

Barbados has already become a republic and will officially begin operating independently in December 2021, while Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said the country is “rapidly” moving towards republicanism.

Read more: Outrage over FIFA’s ‘hypocritical’ support for gay footballer after World Cup armband ban

He told Prince William and Kate the country was “moving forward” during their Caribbean tour, which was mired in protests over Britain’s troubled colonial past and demands for reparations.

Last year, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that within three years he would call a referendum on whether to transform the country into a republic.

He told ITV: “This is not an act of hostility or any distinction between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but the final step to close the circle of independence to ensure that we are a truly sovereign nation.”