Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Simon Meechan

King Charles III's Royal Cypher monogram is released - and what 'CR' means

A new monogram has been revealed for King Charles III following his accession to the throne.

The CR cypher will be added to Government buildings and state documents. It will also feature on post boxes, although many will retain their ER cypher as they were installed during Queen Elizabeth II's reign and there are still GR-marked postboxes in honour of her father, King George VI.

King Charles III personally picked his monograph from a shortlist of designs created by the College of Arms. A different version, featuring the Scottish Crown, will be used in Scotland.

Read more: King Charles III banknotes set to arrive in 2024

The College of Arms, which designed the cyphers, was founded in 1484 and is responsible for creating and maintaining official registers of coats of arms and pedigrees.

The heralds who make up the College are members of the Royal Household and act under Crown authority.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said of replacing the late Queen’s cypher with the Charles’ monogram: “Where changes can be made easily, such as digital branding, they can be made immediately.

“Physical items such as signage or stationery will be replaced gradually over time as the need arises.”

What does 'CR' mean?

King Charles III new monogram (Buckingham Palace)

Charles III's Royal Cypher features the letters CR. The C stands for Charles, while the R means "Rex" - a Latin word for King.

Queen Elizabeth's monograph read ER, Elizabeth Regina. Regina is a Latin word for Queen. King George VI's monogram read GR.

It will be up to individual institutions to adopt the new monogram in honour of Charles III. The process will be a gradual one and in some instances, the cyphers of previous monarchs can still be seen on public buildings and street furniture especially post boxes.

Read next:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.