AMNA NAWAZ: Britain's King Charles was presented with the new banknotes of his reign today.

The king, who's being treated for an undisclosed cancer, received the notes bearing his portrait at a brief ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Royal editor Chris ship of Independent Television News reports from London.

CHRIS SHIP: The Bank of England governor does many things, but rarely does the holder of the post get to present a monarch with the new set of banknotes bearing his or her face.

From the 5th of June, this will be the new five pound note and new tenner, and this the new 20 pound and 50 pound notes, perhaps one of the most visible changes of the new reign of King Charles.

SARAH JOHN, Chief Cashier, Bank of England: The portrait was taken from a photograph that was given to us by the royal household, and we used the photograph to create an engraving, which is turned then into the image you see on the banknotes today.

MAN: We have come to present you with your banknotes.

CHRIS SHIP: And the monarch always gets the very first ones.

Look at the serial number,0000001, and this is the first time the bank has ever changed the sovereign on the front.

MAN: The queen was the first sovereign to be on the banknote.

CHRIS SHIP: Surprising because Bank of England notes did not feature the monarch until 1960, when Queen Elizabeth became the first to appear on the new one pound note.

And, of course, the late queen would be the face of Bank of England notes for the next 64 years.

She saw them being printed for herself in 1981 at the bank's printing works in Essex.

KING CHARLES III, United Kingdom: I'm sorry for the delay.

CHRIS SHIP: The king apologized for the delay in receiving the notes caused by his cancer treatments, but, today, the phrase cash is king felt more than appropriate for this particular moment.