Following loads of buzz, the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney confirmed that Jane Austen will appear on the ten-pound note starting in 2017.
The announcement was made yesterday at Chawton House (Austen’s residence for nearly the last decade of her life). The note is intended to honor the writer of beloved classics including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. The move to feature Austen comes in response to concerns that, since prison reformer Elizabeth Fry’s visage was removed from the £5 note in favor of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the only woman currently featured on British currency is Queen Elizabeth II.
“Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes,” Carney said. “Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature.”
The banknote will feature a portrait of the author, loosely adapted from an original sketch by her sister, and an image of one of her most famous characters, Elizabeth Bennet. Austen’s fan following has grown substantially in recent years, with popular adaptations of her novels ranging from 1995’s Clueless, based on Emma, to recent YouTube webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
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