A new Royal Cypher has been released for King Charles III, who ascended the throne after Queen Elizabeth II 's death on September 8.
The monogram has been revealed as the Royal Family returned to regular duties following the end of the royal mourning period, which took place over the last two weeks.
During this period, members of the Royal Family continued undertaking engagements appropriate to the circumstances and mourning bands were worn where appropriate.
As King Charles gets settled into his new role, big changes are in store for the UK, with the new Royal Cypher being the first of many.
But what is a Royal Cypher and what is it used for?
Here's everything you need to know.
Royal Cypher meaning
A royal cypher is a monogram for a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown.
Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Cypher was EIIR, which stands for Elizabeth II Regina.
Regina is the Latin word for queen, and Queen Elizabeth II's cypher also included a stylised version of St Edward's crown.
What is King Charles III's Royal Cypher?
King Charles III's cypher shows His Majesty's initial - C - intertwined with the letter R.
III is seen within the letter R and the lettering is all in gold, to signify Charles III with the crown above the letters.
The cypher has also been designed as a black and white image.
The monogram will now replace the previous cypher of Queen Elizabeth II, which was used for more than 70 years.
What does the 'R' stand for in Charles R?
The R which features in the Royal Cypher stands for Rex.
Rex is the Latin word for King.
Who designed the Royal Cypher?
The Royal Cypher is King Charles' personal property and was carefully selected by the monarch from a series of designs created by the College of Arms.
A Scottish version of the monogram, which was also designed by the royal corporation, features the Scottish crown and was approved by Lord Lyon King of Arms.
The College of Arms, which is also known as Heralds' College, was founded back 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 they act under crown authority.
What will the Royal Cypher be used for?
King Charles's Royal Cypher will be used on government buildings, state documents, uniforms and some post boxes.
It will also be used by the royal household for franking mail and Buckingham Palace’s Court Post Office will frank the first items of post with the King’s new cypher today.
The post room deals with around 200,000 items of mail each year, including invitations to events and responses to letters and cards.
The new monogram is the first of many changes the public will see following the death of the Queen.
However, the decision to change the use of cyphers from the Queen to the King will remain at the discretion of individual organisations and will be a gradual process.
Stamps bearing the King’s silhouette, which will face in the opposite direction to his mother, will soon be released.
New passports will now be printed with the wording on the inside of the front cover changed to His Majesty.
Bank notes and coins featuring the King’s face will also begin going into circulation around the country in the coming months.
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