Queen Elizabeth II: A Portrait in Stamps
Fay Sweet
Publication date: 16 October 2007
Since her accession to the throne in 1952, the Queen’s image on UK and Commonwealth stamps has become one of the most familiar icons of all time – recognisable by people all over the world. This new book, jointly published by Royal Mail and the British Library to coincide with Her Majesty’s diamond wedding anniversary, celebrates the key events in the life of the Queen and the British royal family through the hundreds of stamps produced during her reign, from the 1950s to the present day.
From the coronation stamps featuring a portrait by society photographer Dorothy Wilding to stamps commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Wedding celebrations in 2007, Queen Elizabeth II: A Portrait in Stampsillustrates the reign of Her Majesty as celebrated on Britain’s stamps (every one of which is approved by the Queen).
The book features every design of UK ’special stamps’ issued for royal occasions. Prince Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York’s wedding and Diana, Princess of Wales’s marriage and death are among the many royal events commemorated. The Queen Mother’s life is illustrated through stamps issued across the Commonwealth, and those designed in the UK for her 80th, 90th and 100th birthdays - the 80th birthday issue was her first appearance on a British stamp since her Silver Wedding of 1948. Also included are stamps designed or illustrated by members of the royal family, such as The Prince of Wales’s watercolour paintings for the issue marking the 25th anniversary of his investiture.
Originally published in hardback in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s jubilee, this new publication has been revised and extended to take account of events during the last 5 years. The book charts the changing face of the monarch over the past five and a half decades, beautifully illustrated by the official portraits depicted on special stamps. New additions include stamps issued to commemorate Prince William’s 21st birthday, the wedding of Charles and Camilla, the Queen’s 80th birthday (21 April 2006), as well as stamps issued this October to mark the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s diamond wedding anniversary.
Jointly published by the British Library and Royal Mail, the book includes over 250 colour illustrations and will appeal to the stamp lover and general reader alike. As well as commemorating important national events and anniversaries, Britain’s stamps provide an unparalleled visual record of the monarch’s life and times. Illustrated from the two great philatelic collections of the British Library and Royal Mail, this book is an essential read for anyone with an interest in monarchy, in design, or in stamps.
Author Fay Sweet writes:
“Within the pages of this book, the story of our Queen’s reign is told in stamps. These are stamps which chart the important events and national preoccupations of the past half century, which capture the mood of the times and also provide an invaluable and intriguing record of the evolution of modern royal portraiture. As miniature works of art and powerful ambassadors for Britain, these stamps have travelled the globes in their billions and have ensured that the Queen’s portrait is not only one of the most familiar in the modern world, but arguable the most reproduced image of all time.”
For further information, images and review copies, contact:
Ruth Howlett at the British Library Press Office: 020 7412 7112 or email ruth.howlett@bl.uk.
Mark Barber at Eulogy! PR: 020 7927 9999 or email mark@eulogy.co.uk
Notes for Editors
Queen Elizabeth II: A Jubilee Portrait in Stamps is jointly published by Royal Mail and the British Library. Paperback with over 250 illustrations, 128 pages, 240 x 250mm. Price £9.95. ISBN 978 0 7123 5002 0. Available from the British Library Shop (tel: 020 7412 7735 / e-mail: bl-bookshop@bl.uk) and online at www.bl.uk/shop as well as other bookshops throughout the UK.
Fay Sweet is a writer and broadcaster specialising in design. She has produced many radio programmes on architecture and design, as well as on Royal Mail’s Special Stamps, and writes for the Evening Standard. Fay has also written many Royal Mail publications, including several editions of its prestigious Special Stamps Yearbook.
The Philatelic Collection at the British Library is the national philatelic collection of the United Kingdom, comprising material from most countries and periods, available to researchers by appointment. Some of the highlights of the Library’s Philatelic Collections are on display to the public at the British Library, open to all, seven day a week, admission free. Further information is available at the British Library website's philatelic pages or from Philatelic Collections at The British Library, Philatelic Collections, 96, Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB, Tel 020 7412 7635, fax 020 7412 7780, e-mail: philatelic@bl.uk
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library’s website at www.bl.uk.