The British Home Office has announced that King Charles' coat of arms will be featured on the front of all new passports beginning in December.

Natural landscapes from all four UK nations will be featured in the updated documents, including Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay, and the Giant's Causeway.

It is the first complete redesign of British passports in five years, since they switched from burgundy to dark blue following the country's exit from the European Union.

Passports with Queen Elizabeth II's coat of arms will be valid until they expire, according to the government.

Since 2023, passports have been issued in the King's name, with pages referring to "His Majesty", but the late Queen's coat of arms has remained on the cover.

The King's coat of arms depicts the rounded Tudor crown he chose as his royal cypher when he ascended to the throne in 2022.

As part of the transition from one reign to the next, images and insignia of the King have been gradually introduced, including on stamps, coins, and banknotes, in order to deplete existing stocks rather than having an abrupt change.

By convention, the King does not have a passport because it is issued in his name.

According to the Home Office, the new passports will also include updated security features, such as the latest anti-forgery technology, making them "harder to forge or tamper with."

According to Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp, the redesign represents "a new era in the history of the British passport".

"It also demonstrates our commitment to outstanding public service - celebrating British heritage while ensuring our passports remain among the most secure and trusted in the world for years to come." The government advised people to check the validity of their passports and, if necessary, apply to renew them in good time before travelling.

Since 1915, the UK has issued passports in their modern form, complete with a photo and signature. The first security watermark was added in 1972, and machine-readable passports appeared in 1988.