April 2006

The new Royal Mail stamp issue on 18 April 2006 marks Her Majesty the Queen's 80th Birthday.

To celebrate the occasion we feature stamps issued in commemoration of significant royal birthdays for the late Queen Mother and for our future king, Prince William.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was one of the most loved Royals of recent years. The ninth of ten children, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Prince Albert in 1923 having initially turned down his proposal.

The couple were crowned King and Queen in May 1937 after Prince Albert's older brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne in December 1936 (Prince Albert chose to be known as King George VI, to emphasise continuity with his father George V).

Born in August 1900, the late Queen Mother was one of the longest surviving members of the Royal Family and even received a telegram from her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, on her 100th birthday. On the day of her funeral in April 2002, more than a million people lined the streets outside Westminster Abbey and along the 23 mile route to her final resting place at Windsor Castle.

The following stamps were issued in August 1990 to commemorate the Queen Mother's 90th birthday. Like the stamps issued for her daughter this year, they feature portraits from different points in her life.

Prince William

Prince William, born in June 1982, is the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Diana Spencer, making him second in line to the throne. As a child, he was affectionately known to his parents as 'Wombat'.

Prince William now regularly carries out Royal duties, and like many members of the Royal family before him, he has chosen to serve in the armed forces. Prince William is currently training as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, alongside his younger brother, Prince Harry.

The following stamps from June 2003 were part of a series issued to mark the 21st birthday of Prince William.

Why not visit our current Stamp of the Month exhibition for 2007?