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Following Queen Elizabeth II's demise on September 8, many changes related to Britain's royal family took place as her son, Prince Charles, now known as King Charles III, ascended to the throne.
As stamps, coins, and notes will reportedly go through a transformation due to the change in monarch, the initials "ER" and "EIIR" which were used during the second Elizabethan Age are also going through a change.
"ER" or "EIIR" was used as the Queen's royal cypher, symbol, and initials. In broader terms, it meant Elizabeth Regina, or Elizabeth II Regina with "Regina" meaning "Queen" in Latin.
While no official notification has been issued, for King Charles III, the royal initial will be changed to "CIIIR" which stands for Charles III Rex, with "Rex" meaning King in Latin.
Delving further into the meaning behind royal cyphers amid King Charles III's reign
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Nations in 1953. Since then, the royal initials changed to "ER" or "EIIR" with regards to the then new Queen. During the rule of King George VI, Elizabeth's father, the royal cypher used to be "GVIR."
As noted earlier, it typically stands for Elizabeth Regina, with Regina meaning Queen in Latin. While some places indicate the royal initials to be "EIIR", the two in the middle marked her recognition as Queen Elizabeth II.
However, in Scotland, the "II" was not used, as the country did not recognize Elizabeth I since they were ruled by Mary, Queen of Scots.
The Queen's EIIR can be seen in postboxes, police helmets, and several important places related to the UK government.
Meaning explained behind King Charles III's official initials
Now that King Charles III has been declared the new monarch, the royal initials will change from "EIIR" to "CIIIR". As noted earlier, "CIIIR" stands for Charles III Rex, with "Rex" meaning King in Latin.
The "R" in the symbol was added from Henry VIII's rule as it stands for Regina, in the case of a Queen, and Rex, in the case of a King.
Interestingly, the royal code also features a crown along with the initials. Queens generally use the St Edward’s crown while Kings' royal symbols feature the rounded Tudor crown. While the design of the new King's cypher has not been released, it is expected to contain the Tudor crown along with his initials.
Why are royal cyphers or symbols still used?
Royal cyphers are used in Britain to understand which monarchs created pillar boxes, post boxes, or other structures during their reign. Citizens can identify when a particular structure was established.
The royal cypher also appears on medals and stamps. This is to understand when the stamps were made, as the designs keep changing.
Old pillar boxes cannot be removed with the demise of the monarch. More boxes and structures will be created when a new monarch takes the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II's "coronation" stamp also depicted the royal cypher with the St Edward’s crown and the Imperial crown on both sides.
Changes in coins and bank notes
New coins and bank notes will reportedly be designed featuring the new king. However, they will not be circulated for some time.
The new king and his royal cypher will also be featured on British stamps.
As of now, royal mourning is being observed in the United Kingdom for seven days. The funeral date has been set to September 19.
