The first stamps to bear King Charles’s silhouette are to be released on a special set celebrating the nation’s favourite flowers. The image of the king’s uncrowned profile, in silver and facing to the right, features on a collection of 10 stamps with images including the sweet pea, the sunflower and the purple iris.
David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, said: “Britain is a nation of gardeners, and a love of flowers runs deep in our collective consciousness.
“His Majesty is known to be a passionate gardener and we are delighted that the first special stamps to feature his silhouette should be a celebration of some of the most popular flowers in British gardens.”
Unlike Queen Elizabeth II’s famous silhouette, the king is not depicted wearing a laurel wreath. A presentation pack of the 10 stamps goes on general sale from 23 March and are priced at £10.40. The stamps also mark a significant milestone in British philatelic history as they are the first change of silhouette since 1968.
The definitive stamps – those which are for everyday use unveiled last month – will go on sale in April. They show the king’s head and neck – without a crown – traditionally facing left as all monarchs have done since the Penny Black in 1840.
