King Charles will feature on UK stamps for the first time today as the new design is launched.
The King's image, an adaptation of artist Martin Jennings' design for use on coins, will appear on the new stamps from Tuesday, April 4.
Despite the launch, stamps will not be available for purchase in post offices or other retailers until those featuring an image of the late Queen are used up. King Charles requested that stamps featuring his mother are used up rather than destroyed, according to Royal Mail director of external affairs and policy David Gold.
It means that Queen Elizabeth II's face will likely be the prominent stamp design for some time. However, presentation packs of the King Charles stamps are now on sale, reports Hull Live.
Mr Gold said: “The King gave very clear directions he didn’t want anything to be pulped, he didn’t want things being shredded, he didn’t want stock being thrown away. He was very clear, however long it takes to clear the stock there’s no rush… entirely in line with his well-stated principles of waste and environmentalism.”
Mr Gold added: “The guidance we got from His Majesty was more about continuity and not doing anything too different to what had gone before.
“I think there’s an acknowledgement that, for 70 years, people have been so used to seeing the image of Her Majesty – even through the current image only started in 1967 – they didn’t want anything too different.”
The King Charles stamps feature the monarch's head and neck, facing left. The left facing position has been the tradition since Queen Victoria appeared on the Penny Black - the world's first postage stamp - almost 200 years ago in 1840.
The stamp colouring will continue, with plum purple for first class and holly green for second class stamps. Large second class stamps will continue in marine turquoise, with large first class stamps dark pine green.
The new first class stamps will feature in an exhibition at London's Postal Museum, with the event running until September 23.
The final set of stamps featuring the late Queen was unveiled in February, marking the 100th anniversary of the Flying Scotsman.
The new launch follows a rise in stamp prices, with first class stamps increasing by 15p to £1.10 and second class stamps rising by 7p to 75p.
The price increase was 'necessary', says the Royal Mail, as they look to continue their one-price-goes-anywhere universal service.
Chief commercial officer Nick Landon said: “We appreciate that many businesses and households are facing a challenging economic environment and we are committed to keeping our prices affordable.
“Letters have declined by 25% compared to pre-pandemic. We have to carefully balance our pricing against a continued decline in letter volumes and the increasing costs of delivering letters six days a week to an ever-growing number of addresses across the country.”
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