Queen Elizabeth II has been depicted on British banknotes and coins for decades. Her portrait also has been featured on currencies in dozens of other places around the world, in a reminder of the British empire’s colonial reach.

It will now take time for the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries to swap out the monarchs on their money. But that doesn’t mean the bills don't work. They do. The queen’s portrait on British notes and coins is expected to replaced by a likeness of the new King Charles III, but it won’t be immediate.