At last! Jane Austen will make it into the hands of pretty much every person in this great nation – as the face of a ten pound note! The Bank of England revealed it’s spanking new design this afternoon, featuring not only the author but one of her famous quotes from Pride and Prejudice; ‘I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!’
Women have been rather ill-represented on our jolly old currency. Sure, we’ve had Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale (both great ladies, I might add) but men have somewhat taken the spotlight over the years. Even though we have to wait until 2017, I am overjoyed at the notion that every time I withdraw £10, I will see one of my heroines looking back at me. And, I sincerely hope that her daily presence will encourage more people to take an interest her life’s work. She is, after all, a true icon of the British Isles.
And should the Bank of England ever fall short of ideas…here are some other great ladies I would personally love to see on our currency:
Princess Diana
She campaigned on issues including Aids, homelessness and civilian injuries from landmines. Although I doubt her presence on banknotes would go down well with some members of the Royal Family.
Margaret Thatcher
So she wouldn’t be a popular choice amongst the masses, but as our first female PM, she was certainly memorable!
Boudicca
The warrior Queen of the Iceni tribe who was subjected to brutality by the Romans. She led a tireless campaign against the rule of Rome.
Emmeline Pankhurst
Leader of the British suffragette movement…enough said.
Source: biography.com, londonremembers.com, hollybailz.blogspot.com, npr.org
As with all great Historical Honey articles, we want to know who YOU would love to see on our currency and WHY? Answers in the comments box below…
