(London) The image of the first stamps bearing the image of Charles III, who became king after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, was unveiled on Wednesday by the British postal group Royal Mail.
The stamps will go on sale from April 4, and the design has been approved by the King, “as with all new stamp designs,” the company said in a statement.
This is an adapted version of the portrait created by sculptor Martin Jennings for the Royal Mint, the body responsible for minting British coinage.
The visual shows the new monarch facing left, on a background ranging from “plum purple” to “holly green” to “marine turquoise”, depending on the different types of stamps, adds the company in its press release.
The new stamps will replace those featuring Queen Elizabeth II, created in the 1960s by sculptor Arnold Machin, which have become “an iconic symbol of the United Kingdom around the world, reproduced billions of times”, said argue Royal Mail.
Existing stamps of the late monarch will, however, be sold and remain valid “in order to minimize the environmental impact” of the change of sovereign.
“Uniquely, British stamps do not have the country of origin printed on their surface, as the image of the monarch is sufficient,” added Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, quoted in the statement.
The first coins bearing the image of Charles III came into circulation in early December, appearing in post offices across the country.
The first banknotes with the portrait of the monarch were unveiled at the end of December by the Bank of England and will enter circulation in mid-2024 in the United Kingdom.