Royal cypher

A symbol resembling a royal cypher with the letters "E R" on one TARDIS exterior. (PROSE: Jikū Daikettō! ^[+]Loading...{"release year":"1980","1":"Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks (novelisation)","2":"Jikū Daikettō!"})

A royal cypher was a symbol associated with a monarch.

History

In 1953, a post box with the initials "G R" was located on Florizel Street. (TV: The Idiot's Lantern ^[+]Loading...["The Idiot's Lantern (TV story)"]) The initials stood for "George Rex". (PROSE: Eater of Wasps ^[+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"])

By one account, a symbol resembling a royal cypher with the letters "E R" was present on the TARDIS exterior used by the First Doctor when he encountered Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright on Barnes Common. (PROSE: Jikū Daikettō! ^[+]Loading...{"release year":"1980","1":"Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks (novelisation)","2":"Jikū Daikettō!"})

The letters "E R" were also present on the helmets of some police officers. (TV: The Christmas Invasion ^[+]Loading...["The Christmas Invasion (TV story)"] et al.)

In 2008, a post box with the initials "EIIR" was located in the village of Leadworth. (TV: The Eleventh Hour ^[+]Loading...["The Eleventh Hour (TV story)"])

Behind the scenes

The royal cypher can also be seen on police helmets on the parallel Earth in TV: Rise of the Cybermen ^[+]Loading...["Rise of the Cybermen (TV story)"]. This is a production error, as Britain is depicted as a republic in the same story.