The UK Royal Family is commemorating the end of an era with the release of the final set of stamps featuring the silhouette of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Future commemorative stamps will now feature a silhouette of King Charles III.
The stamps, which can be ordered beginning on Tuesday and will be made available to the general public the following week, depict the iconic Flying Scotsman in locations such as North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Victoria Station in London. In addition, the stamps feature poster art from the 1920s and 1930s, which, according to Royal Mail spokesperson David Gold, evoke “the golden age of steam travel.”
The Queen’s silhouette appeared on stamps for the first time in 1968 on a set commemorating British bridges, with the Postal Museum noting that the decision to include a stamp of the Menai Bridge instead of Tower Bridge was made with “Welsh aspirations” in mind. Since then, it has appeared on hundreds of special stamp issues, with subjects ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Concorde, Star Trek, and endangered species.
The current silhouette of the late Queen, based on a photograph of her in her twenties from the 1950s, was based on plans made prior to her death in September of last year, and stocks of regular first and second class stamps featuring her head will be used until depleted.
Royal Mail has already unveiled the new King Charles stamp, which features a very minimalist design devoid of a crown. It will be implemented gradually over the coming months.
This publication marks the end of an era for Royal Mail and serves as a reminder of the dedication of the late Queen during her reign.
