First Passports Bearing King Charles' Name Unveiled: 'A Significant Moment in U.K. History'

King Charles is appearing on passports for the first time.

British passports issued in the King’s name will begin to be supplied this week, according to the U.K. government. The new iteration of the nation’s travel documents will bear the title “His Majesty” for the first time in seven decades.

Following the end of King Charles’ grandfather King George VI’s reign in 1952, all British passports were issued under "Her Majesty," and continued to bear the title throughout his mother Queen Elizabeth's historic 70 years on the throne.

On the change, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said, “For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports," according to The Independent.

“Many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature,” she continued. "Today marks a significant moment in U.K. history."

“As [His Majesty’s Passport Office] enters a new era in its history, it is delivering an exceptional service and I am extremely grateful for their outstanding accomplishments and the unwavering dedication of the whole team to meet the needs of the British public," Braverman finished.

After over 30 years of burgundy British passports, the official documents were reintroduced in dark blue in 2020 following the U.K.’s departure from the European Union. The new versions issued in the monarch’s name will also feature navy covers.

The first page of each passport, alongside the Royal Arms, will now read: “His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

This official change is only one of many transitions the nation is gradually undergoing following the death of its longest-reigning monarch last September.

Earlier this year, the King’s royal cypher made its debut at the Tower of London.

On April 24, guards at the 1,000-year-old castle, known as Yeoman Warders, debuted new uniforms bearing the cypher ahead of his May 6 coronation.

“Today is a monumental day in our history, because for 70 plus years now, people have been seeing ‘E II R’ on this uniform," Clive Towell, a Yeoman Serjeant, said in reference to the previous cypher honoring the late monarch. "However, today, two weeks before the coronation, 70 plus years on, it will say, for the first day, 'C III R,' Charles the third King. And so for us, this is huge."

Towell added, “Emotional day, but a really good day as we step into this new reign."

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Last winter, King Charles appeared on another official document for the first time — U.K. banknotes.

On December 20, the Bank of England released images of the King on four banknotes (£5, £10, £20 and £50) ornamented with a primary portrait of Charles on one side and a smaller one inside the currency's translucent security window. The notes are otherwise unchanged from the designs used for the late Queen.

Unlike the newly issued passports, however, the notes are scheduled to enter circulation in mid-2024, according to a Bank of England release.

King Charles is only the second monarch — and the first-ever king — to appear on a Bank of England note after his mother, who was first featured in 1960, but British and English monarchs have appeared on coins for over 1,000 years.