The UK government has announced a significant change to passports issued in the name of the current monarch, King Charles III.
For the first time in seven decades, these travel documents will bear the title “His Majesty,” marking a historic milestone for the nation.
Since the end of King George VI’s reign in 1952, all British passports had been issued with the same title, a tradition that continued during Queen Elizabeth’s historic 70 years on the throne.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman expressed the significance of this change in a statement: “For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports. Many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature. Today marks a significant moment in U.K. history”.
King Charles passport
The new passport design will also include navy blue covers, returning to the classic color that characterized British official documents for more than 30 years.
This transition coincides with the reintroduction of the dark blue color on passports in 2020, following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union.
On the first page of each passport, next to the Royal Arms, the following statement will now read:
“His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”
This official change in passports is just one of several the nation is undergoing following the death of Queen Elizabeth last September.
The British monarchy is in a new era, and other adjustments have been made to reflect the new reign of King Charles.
King Charles does not need a passport to travel
King Charles, now monarch, will no longer need to carry a passport to travel outside the United Kingdom. Although Charles, 74, had possessed one of these essential travel documents in his previous role as Prince of Wales, he is now granted the special privilege of not requiring one as sovereign.
According to the royal family website, which has not yet been fully updated following the Queen’s death, it says that the monarch does not need a British passport because these are issued in his name.
The explanation is clear: “When travelling overseas, The Queen does not require a British passport,” they explain. “As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh [then Prince Philip] and The Prince of Wales [then Prince Charles], have passports.”
Queen Elizabeth, who held the throne for more than six decades, traveled tirelessly during her reign, clocking up more than a million miles and visiting more than 100 countries, according to Reuters.
Remarkably, he never had to carry a passport with him for identification.
Now, with the start of the issuance of passports in the name of King Charles, a new milestone in the history of the United Kingdom is marked, following the protocols established after the death of the Queen and the immediate ascension to the throne of her eldest son.