The King’s image will appear on UK stamps for the first time starting today, although the Queen won’t stop appearing on our mail for some time.
All future stamps will now bear the likeness of King Charles, but sales won’t begin until stockpiles bearing the Queen’s head have run out.
The Royal Mint used Martin Jennings’ adaptation of the King’s image for usage on coins.
Charles’ head and neck are depicted on the new issue facing left, as they have on every monarchy since Queen Victoria initially appeared on the world’s first postage stamps in 1840.
And the monarch asked for existing stamps featuring his mother’s image to be used up, rather than be destroyed.
David Gold, director of external affairs at Royal Mail, said: ‘The King gave very clear directions he didn’t want anything to be pulped, he didn’t want things being shredded, he didn’t want stock being thrown away.
‘He was very clear, however long it takes to clear the stock there’s no rush – entirely in line with his well-stated principles of waste and environmentalism.
‘The guidance we got from His Majesty was more about continuity and not doing anything too different to what had gone before.
‘I think there’s an acknowledgement that, for 70 years, people have been so used to seeing the image of Her Majesty – even through the current image only started in 1967 – they didn’t want anything too different.’
The colour of different classes of stamps will remain the same – plum purple for first class, holly green for second class, marine turquoise for large first class and dark pine green for large second class.
But another change to stamps is still in progress, with new barcoded stamps entering circulation and the deadline to use up old stamps extended until July 31.
And while the monarch’s image will continue to face to the left on stamps, the same cannot be said for coins.
King Charles is set to face left on newly minted coins, compared to the Queen who faces right.
The change in images comes just a day after a rise in stamp prices, with first class increasing by 15p to £1.10 and second class increasing by 7p to 75p.
Royal Mail described the price rise as ‘necessary’, explaining the number of letters being sent has declined by 25% compared to before the coronavirus pandemic, and added they are ‘committed’ to keeping prices affordable.