Royal Platinum Wedding Anniversary

The 70th anniversary of the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on November 20 is marked by the issue of a six-stamp miniature sheet entitled Royal Wedding: Platinum Anniversary.

It comprises black-and-white photographs of the couple taken during 1947: two on the day of their engagement, two on their wedding day and two while on honeymoon.

These are presented in se-tenant pairs of different values, while the sheet border features a detail of the wedding gown designed by Norman Hartnell.

At the time of their wedding, Princess Elizabeth was the 21-year-old heiress presumptive to the British throne, as the elder daughter of King George VI, and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was a 26-year-old officer in the Royal Navy, who had been born into the Greek and Danish royal families.

Ahead of their engagement, he had renounced his Greek citizenship and royal titles and become a naturalised British subject, taking the surname Mountbatten after his maternal grandparents. On the day of the wedding he was made Duke of Edinburgh by the King.

Elizabeth would become Queen in 1952, and Philip would be given the title Prince again in 1957.

Designed by Mytton Williams, the issue was printed in litho by International Security Printers.

1st ENGAGEMENT

21-year-old Princess Elizabeth and 26-year-old naval officer Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten walking arm-in-arm outside Buckingham Palace on their first public appearance together on July 10, 1947, following the announcement of their engagement in the Court Circular the day before.

£1.57 ENGAGEMENT

Informal posed photograph of the couple inside the Palace on July 10, Princess Elizabeth seated and Philip perched on the edge of the clair.

1st WEDDING

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in procession along the aisle inside Westminster Abbey following their wedding service on November 20, 1947. More than 2,000 guests attended, and 200 million people listened to the BBC Radio broadcast.

£1.57 WEDDING

The official wedding photograph of the couple on November 20 was taken by the court photographer Sterling Henry Nahum, professionally known as Baron.

1st HONEYMOON

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh looking at photographs of their wedding on a bench during the first part of their honeymoon at Broadlands, near Romsey in Hampshire, on November 23, 1947.

£1.57 HONEYMOON

The couple photographed arm-in-arm on November 23 in the grounds of Broadlands, a country estate landscaped by Capability Brown, which was the home of Philip’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten.

OTHER PRODUCTS

The presentation pack was written by the journalist Robert Hardman, well known as a royal correspondent, and features a full description of the wedding accompanied by a wealth of archival images.

Besides the usual first day cover and stamp cards, a press sheet of 14 uncut miniature sheets is available, in a numbered limited edition of 500.

There is also a limited-edition souvenir pack.

PRICES

Miniature sheet   £6.66

Presentation pack   £7.20

Stamp cards   £3.15

Press sheet   £102.56

First day cover   £8.41

Souvenir pack   £14.99

VERDICT

COMMEMORATIVE WORTH   5/5

Royal occasions and anniversaries are a staple of the Royal Mail stamp programme

QUALITY OF DESIGN   3/5

The chosen photographs are appealing despite being monochrome, and more time-specific than previous anniversary issues

WOW FACTOR   2/5

Those with long enough memories will feel nostalgic, others no more than curious

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