Jane Austen Replaces Darwin on British Currency

Jane Austen is going on Britain's 10-pound note in 2017, reports the BBC. And the guy she's replacing is no slouch—Charles Darwin. Along with her image will be a quote from Austen's Pride and Prejudice: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!" The Guardian calls the decision "surprisingly apt" given how frequently the theme of money comes up in Austen's novels, even if it finds the choice of quote a little "safe."

So why the move? The push began earlier this year when the Bank of England announced that Winston Churchill would replace prison reformer Elizabeth Fry on the 5-pound note. Critics pointed out that would leave no women on the nation's currency, except for the queen. And as the LA Times notes, this week's birth of a certain royal baby means that Britain will be ruled by kings for decades after the 87-year-old queen dies. Austen's presence means at least one woman will remain on the money. (More Jane Austen stories.)