Released on July 1, the Dennis & Gnasher special stamp issue celebrates the 70th anniversary of one of Britain’s best-loved comic-strip characters.
Tagged as the world's naughtiest boy, Dennis made his debut inDC Thompson’s comic The Beano in March 1951, as ‘Dennisthe Menace’; since 2009 the strip has been named ‘Dennis & Gnasher’.
With his distinctive red-and-black-striped jersey, knobbly knees, messy hair and devilish grin, Dennis is the archetypal badly behaved schoolboy, who takes pride in breaking rules and causing mayhem.
On June 24 Royal Mail will issue a miniature sheet of four stamps in memory of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9 at the age of 99.
Having married Princess Elizabeth in November 1947, Philip gave up a stellar career in the Royal Navy when she ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in February 1952.
He would become the longest-serving royal consort in British history, supporting the monarch in all her work until his retirement from royal duties in 2017.
Royal Mail will issue the fifth in its ongoing Music Giants series on May 28, celebrating the solo career of Sir Paul McCartney, one of Britain’s most successful musicians.
In the established style of the series, a set of eight stamps feature selected album covers from 1970, when The Beatles disbanded, through to 2020.
A miniature sheet of four comprises photographs of McCartney at work in the recording studio, spanning three decades.
Royal Mail issued a set of eight stamps on May 4 commemorating the Wars of the Roses, the series of bloody struggles for the throne which engulfed England from 1455-85.
Specifically, the issue is timed to coincide with the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury, one of the defining battles in a period which witnessed the deposition of three kings, and the violent death of two of them.
The Wars of the Roses were fought between the rival houses of Lancaster and York, which were both cadet branches of the royal house of Plantagenet.
A set of six stamps issued by Royal Mail on April 15 celebrated Classic Science Fiction, roughly coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the death of H G Wells and the 70th anniversary of the publication of The Day of the Triffids.
The term ‘science fiction’ came into use at the end of the 1920s, for a style of literature which engaged with the rapid technological change of the day, and encouraged readers to imagine where it might lead.
Some of what are now considered classics of the genre, however, were written long before then.
A set of 10 stamps celebrating the Legend of King Arthur was issued by Royal Mail on March 16.
One of the most enduring tales in English and Welsh folklore, the legend dates from the 5th or 6th centuries, when, according to medieval histories and romances, Arthur was a Romano-British leader fighting against Anglo-Saxon invaders.
Historical evidence of his life is non-existent, and the earliest datable mention of Arthur is in a 9th-century chronicle, so he straddles the border between history and mythology.
Royal Mail celebrated the 40th anniversary of the BBC television sitcom Only Fools & Horses with a set of eight stamps and a miniature sheet issued on February 16.
Created by John Sullivan and first broadcast in 1981, Only Fools & Horses ran for seven series and 16 Christmas specials until 2003, amounting to 64 episodes in all.
At its peak, it was watched by more than 24 million people.
Royal Mail issues a set of 10 stamps on January 14 celebrating National Parks, marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of such areas in the UK.
The first to be designated was the Peak District, in April 1951, followed by three others later in the same year.
For reasons best known to itself, Royal Mail will issue a set of stamps on November 13 devoted to the Americantelevision and film franchiseStar Trek.
Created by the American writer and producer Gene Roddenberry in 1966, the science-fiction space opera features 23rd-century humanson a mission ‘to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before’.
Combining the exploration of interstellar space and moral issues, it now extends to more than 750 television episodes and 13 movies, including both sequels and prequels.
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