Can you still use stamps with Queen Elizabeth II on?
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s image first began appearing on our stamps 70 years ago in 1953.
Our current monarch King Charles III, meanwhile, first popped up on stamps in April 2023 – with several designs in classic colours, including purple and green, being unveiled.
Naturally, you might be wondering if The King’s stamps mean the late Queen’s can no longer be used.
Here’s all you need to know.
Can you still use stamps with the late Queen on?
Yes, you can still use stamps with Queen Elizabeth II’s face on them.
From July 31, 2023, you’ll need to make sure it has a barcode attached to its side, though – as stamps without a barcode are becoming obsolete from this date.
Here’s how to exchange any stamps featuring the late Queen that don’t have a barcode attached.
You can still buy stamps featuring the late monarch’s visage even now, as the Royal Mail has revealed that The King wants them to be fully used, even as his go on sale from April 4, 2023.
You can buy stamps featuring The King via the Royal Mail website now.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said, as the BBC reports: ‘Post Offices and retailers will continue to sell their existing stocks of stamps featuring Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and will then be supplied with the new stamps when existing stocks at Royal Mail have been exhausted.’
Director of external affairs for the company, David Gold, shared that The King instructed that stamps featuring his mother weren’t to be pulped or shredded.
Mr Gold said: ‘The King gave very clear directions he didn’t want anything to be pulped, he didn’t want things being shredded, he didn’t want stock being thrown away.
‘He was very clear, however long it takes to clear the stock there’s no rush – entirely in line with his well-stated principles of waste and environmentalism.’
He added: ‘The guidance we got from His Majesty was more about continuity and not doing anything too different to what had gone before.
‘I think there’s an acknowledgement that, for 70 years, people have been so used to seeing the image of Her Majesty – even through the current image only started in 1967 – they didn’t want anything too different.’
Stamps featuring The King are also quite reminiscent of those featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
A profile image of his head and neck features on the design – and the colours are plum purple for First Class, holly green for Second Class, marine turquoise for First Class Large and dark pine green for Second Class Large.
MORE : When will stamps, coins and banknotes featuring King Charles III enter circulation?
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