08 February 2023 , 13:50
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Royal fans have been surprised to note that King Charles III's new stamp has one striking difference to those dedicated to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The crown has long been one of the most instantly recognisable signifiers of the monarch, however, King Charles, who is the seventh monarch to appear on a stamp, has opted not to wear one for his stamp portrait.
This makes the King the very first monarch in British history to appear on a stamp without a crown. Even his great uncle Edward VIII had an image of the crown in his stamp, despite abdicating before he was actually crowned.
King Charles is not wearing a crown in his portraitRoyal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, David Gold, has said that the King provided guidance on the new stamp to maintain 'continuity', and wanted existing stamp stocks featuring the late Queen to be used up over time, not pulped.
The choice not to wear a crown in the portrait, unlike his mother before him, is an interesting one, and could be perceived as the King choosing to show a more human face of the monarchy.
Gold said: "Personally, I think what marks this stamp out is that there is no embellishment at all, no crown, just simply the face of the human being, on the plain background, almost saying, 'this is me and I’m at your service', which I think in this modern age is actually rather humbling."
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The new stamps will be released April 4, but the Postal Museum in Clerkenwell, London is currently offering a chance to see a sheet of King Charles III's definitive stamps before they go into circulation.
Speaking with This Is Local London, Head of Collections at The Postal Museum Chris Taft, said: "The exhibition charts the development of these familiar, everyday objects since the very first stamp was designed for Queen Victoria.
"Each monarch made decisions about designs that influenced both how the public perceived them, and the decisions successive monarchs made for their stamps. We hope visitors will come away with a better understanding of how the design for King Charles III fits within the rich postal history of the UK."