Stamps celebrate Queen’s milestone

The House of Windsor stamps will be released on February 2 and include the five monarchs from the start of the 20th century, with the Queen featuring on the final stamp in celebration of her 60th year.

Six portraits of the Queen, taken from stamps, coinage and banknotes issued during her reign, will feature on a special miniature sheet due to be released on February 6. A further eight stamps will be sold from the May 31, featuring striking images from across the six decades of her reign.

Royal Mail is also set to release a set of Roald Dahl stamps, from January 10, featuring giant peaches, fantastic foxes and a chocolate factory as some of his most popular stories are celebrated.

The 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens will be honoured in June with special stamps to mark the occasion.

Royal Mail commemorates the best of British on February 23 with the launch of its Britons of Distinction stamps, with 10 first class stamps celebrating prominent Britons, including mathematician and Second World War code-breaker Alan Turing, SOE heroine Odette Hallowes, composer Frederick Delius and the Golden Jubilee of Coventry Cathedral which is marked by honouring its architect Sir Basil Spence.

The first of a series of stamps celebrating the London 2012 Games will go on sale on January 5, with others released throughout the year, including for the first time Gold Medal stamps to mark Team GB Olympic victories

Amid other stamps include Classic Locomotives, Comics and British Fashion Designers.