The Queen’s Birthday 2020

Overview

On 21 April 2020, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 94th birthday.

The domestic-rate stamp in this year’s annual Queen’s Birthday stamp issue presents Her Majesty during the 1970 royal tour of Australia, it being 50 years since this event. The Queen was accompanied on the five-week tour by their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip, Prince Charles (for part of the visit) and Princess Anne; it was the first occasion on which Charles and Anne were part of the visiting royal party. The royals were greeted by enthusiastic crowds as they travelled through New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.

On the international-rate stamp is a more recent photograph of Her Majesty, taken at Royal Ascot, an annual five-day horseracing event at Ascot Racecourse and one of the most prestigious events in the racing world. Each day of the event begins with the Royal Procession, when the Queen and accompanying members of the royal family arrive along the track in horse-drawn carriages.

Technical specifications

Issue date: 7-April-2020
Issue withdrawal date: 31-October-2020
Denomination: $1.10 x 1, $3.20 x 1
Stamp design: Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio
Product design: Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio
Paper: gummed: Tullis Russell
Paper: self-adhesive: Securepost MC90
Printer: Ego
Printing process: Offset lithography
Stamp size (mm): 26 x 37.5
Minisheet size (mm): 130 x 80
Perforations: 14.6 x 13.86
Sheet layout: Modules of 50
FDI Postmark: Elizabeth SA 5112
FDI withdrawal date: 6-May-2020

Stamps in this issue

$1.10 - 1970 Royal Visit

This stamp shows the Queen descending the steps of the Sydney Town Hall, in May 1970. She is wearing a fine wool crepe dress designed by Norman Hartnell, with a silk-covered straw hat by Simone Mirman.

The stamp photograph is from Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images.