Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday

Eight stamps show Elizabeth's smiling

Royal Mail's Special Stamps are the perfect way to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday. The eight stamps show Elizabeth's smiling through eight decades, capturing her in relaxed and informal poses.

Wonderfully photogenic set of stamps

The Guardian's Picture Editor, Roger Tooth, was commissioned to source images for this royal birthday issue. Roger Tooth began his trawl through the archives of thousands of pictures looking for smiling photographs of Her Majesty. Soon Tooth found himself face to face with a range of delightful pictures showing a side of the Queen that the public were most unlikely to have seen in a newspaper or magazine.

Eight decades and eight royal smiles

The eight stamps show Her Majesty from every decade except the decade of her birth and the 90's. Pictures of Her Majesty in her early years were a bit thin on the ground especially as the brief dictated that Queen Elizabeth would need to be laughing or smiling.
In the case of the 90's, no picture was selected because despite sifting through many pictures from that decade, Roger Tooth was unable to find a suitable cheerful shot, which worked well with the set. That particular decade was not a great time for Queen Elizabeth.

Fascinating products

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday smiles are available in an array fascinating products, including limited edition Silver Stamps, a new and unique product from Royal Mail.

Stamp in detail

Issue: Great Britain, 18 April 2006
Stamp size: 41 x 30 mm
Perforations: 14.5 x 14
Design: Sedley Place
Printing: Gravure by Joh Enschede Stamps

More information

Postage Stamps 2006
Stamps United Kingdom
Land of hope and glory
Brunel
Royal Mail centenary of Queen Mother
Princess Diana