LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine): The Royal Mail has released a new set of stamps to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen.
On Sunday, Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her 70th year on the throne, making her the first monarch of Britain in history to do so.
The new collection includes images of her from the 1950s through the 2020s, from Trooping the Colour and walks in the country to international tours.
The first stamp, in black and white, is on a stamp (1st class) and depicts the Queen smiling and waving with the Duke of Edinburgh on a visit to Washington, DC, in the United States.
This jubilee will be particularly sad because it will be the monarch’s first without Prince Philip, who passed in April.
The Queen kindly smiling in a rich burgundy dress and cap at the time of a visit to MI5 headquarters in the second month of the year 2020; and on a stroll in Worcester in April in the year 1980 are among the other 1st class stamps.
The monarch’s evolving fashion throughout the years is represented in a 1966 portrait on a £1.70 stamp, in which she is depicted in Victoria Park, St Vincent, wearing a feathered headdress and a shift dress of the time, while on a tour to the West Indies.
The stamps are a “celebration of the second Elizabethan Age” and a tribute to a “great lifetime of devotion and public service,” according to Simon Thompson, Royal Mail’s chief executive.
Special stamp issues were produced to commemorate the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen.
What of the standard Queen’s head stamp silhouette?
The Queen’s silhouette, which is generally needed on special stamps, is not included in the new series.
The silhouette is no longer required because the Queen’s picture has been made use of in the stamp’s real design, according to the Royal Mail.
Though the Queen’s Accession Day is on February 6, celebrations around the country will take place over a four-day bank holiday weekend in the month of June, with events such as a pop concert at the Palace, a pageant on The Mall and a thanksgiving service.
The Queen is residing on the Sandringham estate currently, where she will continue to stay until the anniversary of George VI, her father’s death and her accession to the throne in 1952.
The stamps can be purchased separately, as well as a variety of collectible items and will be available starting on Friday.
