Christmas stamp images revealed
A set of five festive stamps are on sale featuring lyrics from popular carols.
Royal Mail has revealed the images of its Christmas stamps and published recommended dates for posting cards next month.
A set of five festive stamps are on sale, containing images inspired by the themes of Christmas carols and featuring a lyric from carols O Holy Night, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Silent Night; Away In A Manger and We Three Kings.
The set of stamps is the first Christmas issue to feature the silhouette of the King.
“The charming style of these designs, which were inspired by the carols that are so familiar to us all, set the perfect tone for the festive season.”
Tom Duxbury said: “’It’s been a privilege to illustrate the first set of Christmas stamps to bear the silhouette of His Majesty King Charles III. The theme of nativity became a chance to create rich, luminous nightscapes.
The barcodes on this year’s Christmas stamps will allow customers to watch a seasonal themed video created for Royal Mail by the award-winning Aardman studio. The video features Shaun the Sheep and his friends sending some festive cheer to the farmer’s dog.
The first Christmas stamps, issued in December 1966, were the result of a children’s art competition announced by the then postmaster general Tony Benn.
Its latest recommended posting dates for mail to arrive in time for Christmas are December 18 for second class, 19th for first class and 22nd for special delivery guaranteed
