Following the passing of the UK’s longest reigning monarch, many will be asking what happens now as they mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty sadly passed away at her Balmoral Estate on Thursday 8 September, passing her title to her son Charles.
Clarence House confirmed yesterday evening that the new king will henceforth adopt the title of King Charles III as he commences his new duties whilst grieving the loss of his mother.
Naturally, now that we have a new King quite a few other things are likely to change too. Here are a few of the things we can expect to see altered in the coming weeks, reports The Hoot.
The National Anthem
A change that will be implemented immediately is the change in the national anthem. It was ‘God Save the Queen’ but it will now revert to ‘God Save the King’, this was last sang under the Queen’s father and predecessor, King George VI.
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Stamps
Image: Unsplash
Stamps across the UK will be replaced with new stamps that have the face of King Charles III on them. The old stamps with Queen Elizabeth II on them will slowly be phased out of use.
Money
All notes and coins in the UK carry the image of the Queen on them. From now on, all new money printed or coins minted will contain the image of the new monarch.
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Image: Unsplash
The old money will be slowly phased out to a point where eventually (and very far in the future), the old money will cease to be legal tender.
Other nations where the Queen is their head of state, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand will also have to phase out their money.
Passports
Image: Unsplash
All passports issued in the UK for the past 70 years have contained this message “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”
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This will now be updated with the King’s pronouns however you will not have to update your passport until it expires.
Postboxes
Image: Unsplash
Every postbox in the UK built during the Queen’s reign carries her royal cypher. This is EIIR, or Elizabeth II Regina, which is Latin for Queen.
All postboxes built under King Charles III reign will now carry a new cypher which is yet to be announced.
Uniforms
The Queen’s military cypher is imprinted on lots of uniforms across the UK, including those worn by the armed forces and police.
This will be replaced by the King’s military cypher which is yet to be announced.
Feature image – The Royal Family
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Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
You can read the full Altrincham feature here, and see where else The Sunday Times included in its list for 2026 here.
Featured Image – Geograph
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11 arrested and £70k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
11 people have been arrested, as well as a large amount of cash and drugs seized, during early-morning raids across Greater Manchester.
The raids took place during the early hours of the morning yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2026), where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) successfully executed eight warrants simultaneously across Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale to tackle a ‘suspected criminal network’ involved in the distribution of class A drugs and firearms.
Officers from Tameside Programme Challenger team, the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), and GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) were deployed to each of the addresses.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and preparation, a total of 11 people – each aged between 24 and 77 – were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences during the raids.
Eight men and three women were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, being part of an organised crime group, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and possession of an offensive weapon.
They all remain in police custody for questioning at this time, GMP confirmed.
During searches of the addresses, various class A, B and C drugs – including crack cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and nitrous oxide – were seized, while further recoveries of £70,000 in cash, a zombie knife, a BB gun, and four vehicles were also made at the same time.
Speaking following the success of the raids yesterday, Chief Superintendent Shan Nasim, District Commander for Tameside, said: “[This] operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our district and Greater Manchester.
“We have 11 people in custody being questioned by our investigation teams in relation to an organised crime group (OCG) that have been causing widespread harm across our communities.
“This action caused significant disruption of an organised crime group (OCG) and has prevented drugs and weapons from reaching the streets, as well as the associated harms that come hand in hand with organised crime.
“Organised criminals exploit vulnerable people and blight our communities; we will take robust action to catch offenders, keep our communities safe, and protect vulnerable people across Greater Manchester.”
The Manc -
9th September 2022 
