Four new postage stamps have been approved by the King to commemorate his Coronation, showcasing the rise of secularism in the UK. Royal Mail has produced the stamps, each representing a different theme, to celebrate the multi-faith and environmental causes that King Charles has dedicated his life to, The Telegraph reported.
According to a spokesman for Royal Mail, David Gold, the Diversity and Community stamp's secularism depiction is “important” as fewer people attend church than they did in 1953.
The first-class stamp depicts figures representing various religions, including Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, and Buddhist, and is representative of all faiths and none.
The UK is among the most secular countries globally, with last year's census data revealing that less than half of England and Wales’s population is Christian.
The second most common response to the question about religion on the census was "no religion," which increased from 25.2% to 37.2% over ten years.
The four stamps are based on newly commissioned wood engravings by artist Andrew Davidson.
One stamp depicts the St Edward's Crown being lowered onto Charles's head by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the Coronation. The other three stamps depict the Commonwealth and sustainability and biodiversity.
Charles has been campaigning for sustainability and the protection of the environment for over five decades, and the Commonwealth stamp celebrates the monarch as the new head of the Commonwealth.
The £2.20 sustainability and biodiversity stamp depicts a beekeeper and a hedgelayer and shows a natural landscape featuring renewable sources of energy.
The £2.20 Commonwealth stamp is made with red ink and depicts a Commonwealth meeting, the Commonwealth Games, flags of certain Commonwealth nations, a scene depicting trade and commerce, and a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery.
“We wanted to reflect that he is coming to the throne and taking over from the Queen a very different society to the one that she came to the throne in,” said Gold.
Royal Mail is also applying for a special postmark to be stamped on letters in honour of the occasion, running from April 28 to May 10. It will read: “Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla 6 May 2023.”
The stamps, designed by Atelier Works, are available to view ahead of general release at the Postal Museum in London from April 28 as part of the exhibition, The King's Stamp.
All four stamps will go on general sale on Coronation Day on May 6.
Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson said Royal Mail is proud to issue the commemorative stamps, which mark the start of a new reign and a new chapter in the UK's history.
Damian Talbot