A symbolic but important update regarding Australian police badges and insignia is underway.

Since the 19th Century, Australian police badges have featured the sovereign’s crown to symbolise the monarch’s authority. Initially used for headdresses and station signs, police badges are now displayed on warrant cards, stationery, shoulder patches, departmental vehicles, and online.

Each reigning monarch of Australia selects a Royal Cypher – a monogram that incorporates their initials, title, and crown. Queen Elizabeth II and most of Britain’s 19th Century monarchs used the ‘St Edwards Crown’, which featured on the police badges of those periods. When he became the King of Australia in 2022 Charles III chose the ‘Tudor Crown’ for his cypher. This is the crown that the four Kings of Australia used between 1901 and 1952, as well as King George III beforehand.

The original, jewel-encrusted, gold-and-silver Tudor Crown was crafted in the early 16th century but was destroyed during the English Civil War. The primary design difference between the St Edward’s and Tudor Crowns is that the former features arches on either side of its central cross, while the latter has a rounded dome.

Design changes are underway across all tiers of government to ensure the new crown is depicted in official badges, logos, and uniform items.

The Governor-General and all State Governors have already changed their emblems, and police agencies are following suit. The New South Wales Police Force (August 2024), the Northern Territory Police Force (November 2024), the Tasmania Police (January 2025) and the Australian Federal Police (February 2025) have amended their digital badges. The other police agencies have not indicated when their changes will take effect.

New tangible items such as shoulder patches, rank slides and car decals will gradually be introduced to minimise the costs and waste of replacing existing stock in the coming years. This approach repeats the experience when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne; it took almost a decade in most forces to fully introduce the St Edwards Crown. Consequently, this new change may not be fully implemented until the early 2030s.