Queen Elizabeth II: In Memoriam

Overview

On 8 September 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96. Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926, Queen Elizabeth reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch and the longest of any female head of state in recorded history. There were 16 Australian and 15 British prime ministers in office during the Queen’s reign.

The Queen has featured on a greater number of Australian stamps than any other person, with more than 100 appearances, commencing with the one penny (1d) Australian stamp in honour of her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh (1921–-2021), at which time she had not yet acceded to the throne.

By the time of the Queen’s accession, in 1952, it was a long-established policy to feature the monarch on most Australian definitive stamps, including the base-rate value. As such, the Queen was depicted on lower denomination definitive stamps issued between 1953 and 1971 and on all base- rate definitive stamps until 1973, when this practice was abolished. Only two royal‐themed commemorative stamps were produced between 1973 and 1979, which upset royalists. In response, an annual commemorative stamp series was introduced, the first of which was released to commemorate the Queen’s birthday in 1980. Australia is thought to be the first country to commemorate this event annually.

The Australian Queen’s Birthday stamp issue was produced every year between 1980 and 2022, with some issues commemorating key moments during her reign, such as jubilees. Indeed, the Queen’s final stamp commemoration during her lifetime was for the 2022 platinum jubilee, celebrating 70 years of her reign.

Technical specifications

Issue date: 19 September 2023
Issue withdrawal date: 1 April 2024
Denomination: $1.20 x 6
Stamp & product design: Sonia Young, Australia Post Design Studio
Paper: gummed: Tullis Russell 104gsm Red Phosphor
Printer: RA Printing
Printing process: Offset lithography
Stamp size (mm): 35 x 35
Minisheet (mm): 170 x 90
Concertina sheet (mm): 642 x 140
Perforations: 14.28 x 14.28
Sheet layout: Module of 50 (2 x 25 no design)
FDI Postmark: Elizabeth SA 5112
FDI withdrawal date: 19 October 2023

Stamps in this issue

$1.20 Princess Elizabeth, 1945

Queen Elizabeth II was renowned for her devotion to service, the seeds of which were sown while still a princess. The stamp photograph shows Princess Elizabeth in her junior commander uniform for the Auxiliary Territorial Service, in 1945; the service tasked women with important support roles during World War II, including as drivers. The Queen was also dedicated to the success of the Commonwealth, undertaking more than 200 visits to Commonwealth countries during her reign, amounting to one-third of her total overseas visits.

The stamp photographs is courtesy AAP Photos.

$1.20 Queen Elizabeth II, 1952

It is well known that Queen Elizabeth II had a great affection for dogs. Two of the Queen’s corgis, Sandy and Muick, poignantly made appearances during the Queen’s funeral procession. The stamp photograph presents the Queen with her dog Susan at Balmoral in 1952. Susan was a Pembroke Corgi – a present to the Queen on her 18th birthday and reportedly much beloved. Following Susan’s death, in 1959, the Queen went on to own more than 30 of Susan’s descendants.

The stamp photograph is from Bettman/Getty Images.

$1.20 Queen Elizabeth II, 1954

Queen Elizabeth II made 16 visits to Australia between 1954 and 2011. The 1954 tour, the first by a reigning British monarch, occurred not long after her coronation and it stopped the nation. The highly successful two-month tour, undertaken by the Queen and Prince Philip, involved visits to 57 towns and cities in 58 days. The stamp photograph shows the Queen during a visit to schoolchildren at Manuka Oval, Canberra, dressed in a wattle hat. It was on this tour that the Australian Parliament gifted the Queen a diamond wattle spray brooch, which became part of her personal collection.

The stamp photograph is from Popperfoto/Getty Images.

$1.20 Queen Elizabeth II, 1997

Queen Elizabeth II had a lifelong bond with horses, most likely influenced by her father, King George VI, who had a passion for thoroughbreds. The Queen rode for her entire life, from the age of three. She also bred horses, including many race winners. In 2013, the Queen’s horse Estimate won the Gold Cup, making her the first reigning monarch to win the title in the more than 200-year history of this prestigious event. The stamp design shows the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1997, an event that the Queen attended during each year of her reign.

The stamp photograph is by Tim Graham via Getty Images.

$1.20 Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip, 2007

The Queen’s dedication to her family is represented in this stamp issue by her enduring marriage to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, which lasted 73 years until his death in 2021. The Queen described the Duke as her “strength and stay”. The stamp photograph was released on the couple’s diamond wedding anniversary in 2007. Touchingly, the photograph re-enacts one of the royal couple’s honeymoon photos from November 1947.

The stamp photograph is by Tim Graham via Getty Images.

$1.20 Queen Elizabeth II, 2022

On 8 September 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96. Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926, Queen Elizabeth reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch and the longest of any female head of state in recorded history. The stamp photograph was taken to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and was the last officially released photograph, ahead of the Queen’s funeral. The Queen is wearing an aquamarine brooch, which was an 18th birthday gift from her beloved father, King George VI.

The stamp photograph is by Ranald Mackechnie, via Camera Press London.