Bank of England replaces St George's cross with ‘more inclusive’ union flag

The Bank of England has redrawn its logo to be "more inclusive" of other countries in the UK by replacing the cross of St George with a union flag.

The Bank, which is battling the highest UK inflation for 30 years, has a logo depicting Britannia, the female warrior used to personify the nation.

Now bearing a shield with a union flag pattern, instead of the more traditional St George’s cross shape, Britannia has also taken a slight turn towards the viewer in the new softened image.

The pile of coins by her feet is no longer visible, though she still holds a spear with her right hand and while proffering an olive branch - with fewer leaves than before - in her left.

The Bank declined to say how much it spent on the rebrand.

A spokesman said: “We’ve made our Britannia symbol more inclusive. Britannia is the female personification of the British Isles. She has been our symbol since we were founded in 1694. We wanted a new Britannia that reflects our current mission and values.”

The Bank was founded before the United Kingdom had been formed, but the inclusion of the union jack pattern indicates that the full whole of the nation is now recognised in the logo.

Initially a trident-wielding Roman heroine, this is at least the 13th iteration of her image which the Bank of England has used in its history.

On 11 of those she has been seated in a roughly familiar form, though with variations on the pose, an ever-changing pile of coins and, on one occasion, a lion by her side.

In recent years the Bank has faced extra pressure to include more images of women, beyond the Queen, on its banknotes.

This culminated in the decision to feature the author Jane Austen’s likeness on the new polymer £10 note which was introduced in 2017.

Previous women to be honoured with appearances on the currency include prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale, regarded as the founder of modern nursing.

A wider revamp of Bank of England designs also includes a new typeface which aims to be easier for people with dyslexia to read, as well as ensuring the colours on digital publications are chosen to be as legible as possible.

Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s Governor, said it is important the institution “embraces advances in digital technology.”

He said: “These advances have brought many benefits. One is that it brings us closer to the public we serve. We know this means we have to explain what we do and why.

“How we communicate is part of how we carry out our mission. We intend to keep trying to make our communications more inclusive and accessible for everyone.”