Belize has removed the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing Queen Elizabeth II’s image with two of the country’s national heroes.

The new notes will feature George Price, the nation’s first Prime Minister who led Belize to independence in 1981, and Philip Goldson, a former newspaper editor and anti-colonial activist.

The change was announced by Prime Minister John Briceño, who unveiled the new designs on Thursday.

“It is a beautiful note,” Prime Minister Briceño said, commenting on the new design.

“We have been using our two national heroes, George Price and Philip Goldson, and we have them in different denominations – it is something that Belizeans will accept, and it is our people on our note.”

Briceño mentioned that the removal of the Queen’s image was unrelated to the currency’s stability.

“The Queen is dead and that has nothing to do with the Belize dollar; it is based on our economy and the amount of US reserves,” he explained.

The Prime Minister described the change as a way to “honour Belize’s cultural heritage and the transformative impact our national heroes have had on our country”.

Belize remains one of 14 Commonwealth realms that recognise King Charles as Head of State, despite gaining independence from Britain in 1981.

In 2023, Prime Minister Briceño indicated that Belize was “quite likely” to be the next state to become a republic, which would remove the King as Head of State.

Canada and New Zealand, however, have confirmed plans to use King Charles’s image on future banknotes.

Kareem Michael, governor of the Belize Central Bank, said the country would be “joining a growing list of Commonwealth countries that once featured Queen Elizabeth II on their money but no longer do today.”

The currency’s value remains anchored to US reserves rather than British sterling.