200th Anniversary Year of Pride and Prejudice Sees Announcement of Jane Austen on Brit Money Jul 25th 2013, 11:17
Jane Austen has joined the ranks of such British icons as Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens and others as faces on Bank of England Pound notes. Churchill will become the face of the 5 pound note replacing social reformer Elizabeth Fry in 2016 and Austen will grace the 10 pound note, replacing Darwin in 2017.
The Bank of England’s choice of Austen dovetails with VisitBritain and VisitEngland's ongoing strategy of incorporating popular films in its promotions and no author is more popular in the cinema than Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility has been made into a film four times and Pride and Prejudice, celebrating its 200th birthday this year, has been made five times.
“The new addition to England’s currency allows us to celebrate one of our most famous literary legends,” says Emma de Vadder, Visit England’s regional director, North America. “Jane Austen is one of England’s most beloved authors and the fact that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, gives rise to yet another celebration across the country. Austen, along with the Royal Family, has long been a unique asset to English tourism – valued by both residents and visitors alike.”
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, the city of Bath held a grand re-opening of No.1 Royal Crescent in June, following a £5-million renovation. Now the house and adjoining servants' quarters are opened to the public for the first time. Bath’s annual Jane Austen Festival will be held this year from Sept. 19 to 21. This year’s festival will see more than 60 events taking place over nine days. Highlights include the Grand Regency Promenade, led by the 32nd Cornwall Regiment and the Worcester Yeomanry Cavalry; productions by the Artifice Theatre Company held at the Guildhall and the Old Theatre, and the Regency Costumed Masked Ball in the Pump Rooms.
“In recent years England has welcomed a number of exciting events that have attracted attention from around the globe,” says de Vadder, “including the wedding of William and Kate in 2011, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic & Paralympic Games last summer and just this month, the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation and of course the birth of His Royal Highness the Prince of Cambridge. All of these once-in-a-lifetime occasions have not only showcased England to fantastic effect, but have also heightened the country’s pride in its rich history and heritage.”
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