The first British passports issued in King Charles’s name are being released this week, the Home Office has said.
Passports will now use the wording “His Majesty”, with the era finally ending for passports using “Her Majesty”, for the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The last time “His Majesty” appeared on a passport was in the reign of King George VI, which ended in 1952.
Five million passports have been issued already this year under the name of the late Queen.
The one person who will not need a passport is the King himself. By convention the monarch does not have to carry a passport to travel, because it is a document issued in his own name.
The updated passports are the latest stage in the gradual transition in reigns, with stamps and some coins now carrying the King’s head. Banknotes will begin to change next year.
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Since the late Queen’s death last September there has been a steady process of switching to images and insignia of the new King, with an emphasis on using up existing stocks rather than having an abrupt change.
It will be the same for passports, with any existing supplies with “Her Majesty” being used until they run out, alongside the arrival of the new version.
The new passports will now carry the words: “His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty…”
But the previous “Her Majesty” passports will also continue to be valid until their expiry date.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports and many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature. Today marks a significant moment in UK history.”
After problems with delays to issuing passports last year and industrial action this year, the Home Office says 99% of passports are being issued within 10 weeks of application.
UK passports in their modern form, with photo and signature, have been issued since 1915, with the first security watermark being added in 1972 and machine-readable passports introduced in 1988.
In 2020, after leaving the European Union, UK passports changed from a burgundy colour, used since 1988, to dark blue.
This was described as returning to an “iconic blue”, which prompted arguments on social media over the colour of new and old passports, with debates over whether the pre-EU and post-EU versions were really blue or black.