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By David Hartwig
A set of eight stamps from Great
Britain’s Royal Mail commemorates Winston Churchill with an issue date of Nov.
30, the 150th birth anniversary of the statesman and World War II leader.
“The stamps celebrate the life and
legacy of the man who led the nation through its darkest hours and capture the
essence of Churchill’s remarkable journey – from his early years as a soldier
and statesman to his leadership during the Second World War and beyond,” Royal
Mail said in a press release.
The stamps, presented in four
se-tenant (side-by-side) pairs, feature photographs of Churchill at defining
moments of his life. Text on each stamp presents different quotes from his
articles, books, letters and speeches.
The Winston Churchill issue features
stamps in four different denominations, with the stamps in each se-tenant pair
holding the same denomination.
One pair is valued at the
second-class rate (currently 85 pence), one is valued at the first-class rate
(currently £1.65), one at £1 and one at £2. The stamp pairs appear to follow a
chronological order going from second class, first class, £1 and £2.
Born Nov. 30, 1874, at Blenheim
Palace, Oxfordshire, Churchill had a remarkable career as a soldier,
journalist, politician and statesman.
After an early military career, his
escape as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War gained him
fame and secured his election to Parliament in 1900. He became a cabinet
minister in 1908 and married Clementine Hozier the same year.
Churchill’s political trajectory
faced challenges, notably when he lost office during World War I. He briefly
served as a commander and later returned to high-profile government roles. By
the 1930s, his opposition to Indian independence and steadfast views on empire
left him politically isolated. However, his warnings about Nazi Germany
restored his reputation.
Churchill became prime minister in
1940, rallying Britain with his stirring speeches during its darkest hours of
World War II, including the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain. After
he was defeated in the 1945 election, he warned of an iron curtain across
Europe and argued for a special relationship with the United States and
reconciliation between France and Germany.
Reelected prime minister in 1951,
Churchill oversaw the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II before retiring in 1955
due to ill health. He died Jan. 24, 1965, at the age of 90.
“His long life witnessed huge changes
and he played a role in many of them,” Royal Mail said, “participating in
events but also writing about them. He remains one of the most important
figures of the 20th century.”
Following Churchill’s death in 1965,
Britain featured him on a pair of stamps (Scott 420-421) that was the first
British issue to show a contemporary figure. Among the several subsequent
British stamps to picture Churchill, a set of stamps issued in 1974 (728-731)
honored his 100th birth anniversary.
As part of the Winston Churchill
issue, Royal Mail offers a 24-page prestige stamp book that explores the life
and career of Churchill with images and text written by Allen Packwood,
director of the Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge.
When speaking about the stamps,
Packwood said: “I think Winston Churchill would have been rather pleased to be
the subject of these stamps, one hundred and fifty years after his birth. His
archive certainly contains no shortage of letters.”
The prestige stamp book contains all
8 stamps in the issue, a pane of four nondenominated first-class Union Flag
definitive stamps and a pane of four King Charles III definitive stamps, two
denominated 50 pence and two denominated £1, along with two labels.
Royal Mail also offers a presentation
pack with all eight stamps in the set along with images and curated text from
the Churchill Archives Centre.
Additionally, a collectors sheet with
10 stamps is available. Each stamp on the collectors sheet is paired with a
label with a different photograph of Churchill at defining moments in his life
and career. The background of the sheet shows Churchill delivering a speech.
The Winston Churchill stamp issue
includes two first-day covers: one franked with all eight stamps of the set and
one franked with the pane of four King Charles III definitive stamps with two
labels.
The quote “Let us go forward
together,” from a speech delivered by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons
in 1940, is featured on a postmark from Tallents House. An alternative postmark
from Westerham, England, near Chartwell, Churchill’s country house, shows
Churchill’s signature.
Other products offered with the
Churchill stamps include a set of eight postcards reproducing the stamp
designs.
Cartor Security Printers printed the
Churchill stamps by lithography. The stamps measure 41 millimeters by 30mm and
are perforated gauge 14.5 by 14.
Each of the four se-tenant pairs are
available in sheets of 60 stamps (sold in panes of 30 at most postal outlets).
The Churchill stamps and related
products are available online from Royal Mail. Ordering information
also is available from Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent,
Edinburgh, EH12 9PB, Scotland.
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