Canada unveils new $20 bill featuring portrait of King Charles
The vertical banknote features King Charles III, the first new monarch to appear on a Canadian banknote in more than 70 years.
Canada reveals new $20 bill with portrait of King Charles
The vertical polymer banknote is set to begin circulating early next year.
Canada has introduced a new $20 banknote bearing a portrait of King Charles III, marking the first time a new monarch has appeared on a Canadian banknote in more than 70 years, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
The note was unveiled at a Bank of Canada event on Thursday, which central bank governor Tiff Macklem described as a "very special day".
One distinctive feature of the banknote is its vertical layout. The reverse side features an image of the Vimy Ridge memorial in France to mark Canada's role in World War II.
Commonwealth countries New Zealand and Australia have put the King on their coins, although Australia has said it will not place him on banknotes.
Instead, Australia said it will develop a new $5 banknote honoring "the culture and history" of Indigenous Australians to replace the current design showing Queen Elizabeth II.
Canada is the first Commonwealth country outside Britain to place the King on its banknotes since he became monarch.
The banknote also includes a floral and leafy tapestry "inspired by the King's lifetime dedication to the environment", according to the Bank of Canada.
Wayne Long, a Liberal MP and secretary of state for the Canada Revenue Agency, said at the unveiling that the symbols on the banknote "serve as a powerful reminder of who we are as a nation and what we value."
The central bank said some elements were selected in consultation with an Indigenous advisory council.
It is only the second vertical banknote issued in Canada. The first was the $10 bill featuring Black civil rights advocate Viola Desmond. Its design was later chosen as the best in the world in 2018 by the International Bank Note Society.
Macklem said the new $20 banknote will enter circulation early next year.
Polling indicates that many Canadians think the country should end its formal ties to the British monarchy, especially in French-speaking Quebec.
But the monarchy's popularity got a small boost, external as tensions increased between Canada and the US, including the ongoing US-Canada trade war and US President Donald Trump's remarks about making Canada the "51st state".
Prime Minister Mark Carney invited the King to open Canada's parliament in May, a visit that Carney said at the time "clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country".
The King is Canada's head of state and is represented in Canada by Governor General Mary Simon.