ROYAL Mail has unveiled images of four new stamps being issued in memory of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
And we have 20 presentation pack sets of the stamps to give away to our readers.
All four stamp images were released in the Golden Jubilee stamp issue in 2002. And, as with all stamps released during The Queen’s reign, they were approved by her for issue in 2002.
This is also the first set of stamps approved by King Charles III.
The images feature The Queen through the years, including:
- A second class stamp depicting a photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding in 1952. To mark her accession and coronation. The Queen posed for Wilding 59 times, wearing evening gowns designed by Norman Hartnell.
- A first class stamp featuring a photograph by Cecil Beaton taken in 1968. In this one The Queen is pictured standing in her admiral’s cloak with her head tilted to the left. Cecil Beaton took this stark, simple and direct image of HM The Queen for use in his first major retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He hoped the final section of the exhibition would be the highlight and therefore wanted to ‘try something different’ when photographing the monarch. The image features no familiar regal trappings such as tiaras, jewels or lavish interiors, but despite this simple approach, The Queen remains instantly recognisable.
- A £1.85 stamp bearing a portrait of The Queen taken in November 1984 by Yousuf Karsh.
- A £2.55 stamp containing a picture of The Queen taken in 1996 whilst she attended a banquet at Prague Castle during her visit to the Czech Republic. It was taken by Tim Graham.
Simon Thompson, CEO, Royal Mail said: “For the past 70 years every British stamp has been personally approved by Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
“Today we are unveiling these stamps, the first to be approved by His Majesty The King, in tribute to a woman whose commitment to public service and duty was unparalleled in the history of this country.”
None of the stamps in the issue include the silhouette of The Queen normally required on Special Stamps.
This is because The Queen’s image is used in the design of the stamp, therefore removing the need for the silhouette to denote the country of origin.
A presentation pack of all four stamps will go on sale from November 10 and will retail at £6.95. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now to pre-order from www.royalmail.com/inmemoriam
But you can put yourself in with a chance of winning one of the 20 collections we have to give away.
All you need to do is answer this question:
Which photographer took the photograph of The Queen in 1952 to mark her accession and coronation that features on the first stamp?
Send your answer, along with your name, address and contact number, to [email protected] .
The deadline for entries is midnight on Monday, October 17.
