Some changes from Queen to King may take years

The change from Queen to King means many changes in everyday life here in New Zealand.

But while some happened immediately as King Charles took the throne, others are several years away.

Auckland Council staff have been trying to count how many portraits of Queen Elizabeth II hang in its multiple buildings.

"I would say we'd have close to a hundred or something around there but I haven't counted them," council governance services manager Rose Leonard told 1News.

Each of them will need replacing and it's set to take about half a year.

Some, like the one hanging in the old council chamber are large, heavy and hang high.

"I think it's going to be much more of a logistical effort than most people think. These ones for instance are four metres up off the ground, so ladders are involved and they're very very heavy and very old and precious," Leonard said.

But why are so many portraits needed in the first place?

"I think that people, when they come in here for the sorts of ceremonies that are often held in our buildings such as citizenship ceremonies, they want a sense of occasion. They want to be reminded we are in a place where official things happen.

"If you understand the way our country is governed and that we're part of the Commonwealth, you expect to see those symbols of the people who lead us," she said.

Leonard says there's no decision yet on what image or images of King Charles will be used.

"We've checked in with the Governor-General's office on this and there's no fixed time for that to happen. Obviously we would love some beautiful originals like this but it might take a while for those sorts of things to come."

Changes to our money is set to take years rather than months.

The banknotes and coins you use today will still be fine to use.

New notes are not made often meaning the Queen still be on our $20 note for many more years.

And while work will be done to change our coins, existing ones will be used up beforehand too.

"In fact when the new images appear on our banknotes and coins it'll be the first time since decimal currency that we've had both King and Queen circulating, it remains legal tender," Reserve Bank Money and Cash Director Ian Woolford told 1News.

"But again, because we have so many $20 banknotes in reserve, that will be a number of years before that would happen," he said.

The Reserve Bank says making new notes now would be wasteful and bad for the environment.

"And we'd be interested in people's views. The currency is something that needs to reflect who we are and so talking to people about who we are would be a good thing to do," Woolford said.

Read more at the Reserve Bank about what the Queen's death means for our money.

Queen Elizabeth II was Captain-General of the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery and New Zealand Armoured Corps.

She was also Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers, Air-Commodore-in-Chief of the Territorial Air Force and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.

"It's up to the new King to determine whether he chooses to take on all or some of these roles or whether they are passed to other members of the Royal Family," the Defence Force said in a statement.

Navy ships have had an immediate change however.

HMNZS now stands for His Majesty's New Zealand Ship.

Judges are already being introduced in court as His Majesty the King's Judge.

Criminal cases which were once brought on behalf of the Queen, are now also coming from the King.

There was an immediate change for many of our top lawyers as well.

"Up until the Friday the rank was Queen's Counsel," New Zealand Bar Association president Paul Radich KC told 1News.

"And the moment that a monarch dies, if it changes from female to male then so does the rank, it changes to King's Counsel.

"It has this ancient ring to it, there have been many more years in the history of the rank with King's Counsel than Queen's Counsel of course but Queen Elizabeth lived a couple of lifetimes for many purposes and so since 1952 we've only known Queen's Counsel so we've certainly got used to the sound of that rank."