THE ROYAL Mail has today unveiled its ‘Best of British’ commemorative themed stamps for 2019.
Among the important subjects covered will be the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing which will be marked with 11 special stamps in June and the bicentenaries of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The second longest reigning monarch (behind the current one, Queen Elizabeth II), will have six stamps issued in May.
They will chart her life in period paintings from childhood and marriage to Prince Albert, to marking her long reign.
The accompanying stamps in the mini-sheet will pay tribute to her husband, Prince Albert.
Other topics which will have their own stamp sets in 2019 include Birds of Prey (in April), British Engineering (May), Curious Customs (July), Forests (August), Royal Navy Ships (September) and Christmas (November).
The Birds of Prey images will be photographs taken by Tim Flach especially for the Royal Mail.
The birds featured all breed in the UK and are captured in characteristic poses of flight or in close up to show their features.
Species include the Red Kite, the Sparrowhawk, the Merlin, the Golden Eagle and the Kestrel.
The British Engineering stamp issue is a celebration of UK excellence in engineering over the past 50 years and conveys the wide range of engineering disciplines where the UK continues to make its mark.
Visit www.royalmail.com/stamps for more information on the collections.
