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Italy dedicates postage stamp to Queen Elizabeth II

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

13 Sep, 2023

Italian stamp honours Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her death.

Italy has honoured the late Queen Elizabeth II with a new postage stamp issued to mark the first anniversary of her death at Balmoral one year ago.

The commemorative stamp was unveiled on Tuesday at a ceremony in Rome in the presence of the minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and the British ambassador in Italy, Ed Llewellyn.

The stamp depicts a series of coloured silhouettes of "Regina Elisabetta II", marking various phases of her life as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Alla regina #ElisabettaII del Regno Unito è dedicato un #francobollo commemorativo ad un anno dalla sua scomparsa.
Oggi cerimonia di emissione con ministro @adolfo_urso, ambasciatore @UKinItalia @EdLlewellynFCDO, @IPZS, @PosteItaliane.

https://t.co/krD53apLSr pic.twitter.com/Jjb3dNW3QZ
— MIMIT (@mimit_gov) September 12, 2023

The initiative marks a rare instance of Italy dedicating a commemorative stamp to a non-Italian, an honour which in the past has been bestowed only on a handful of personalities including former popes, Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale.

“This stamp is almost an exception, because it concerns a historical personality who does not belong to the Italian state", Minister Urso said in a statement, underlining the "extremely important and significant role" played by Queen Elizabeth II and noting the monarch's affection for "the culture, history and people" of Italy.

Today, Italy did something wonderful. They published a beautiful stamp in honour of our late Queen. The first time, with the exception of former Popes, that Italy has done so for a non-Italian. Thank you, Italy, from your British friends, for this very touching gesture pic.twitter.com/hFSt5PsuxC
— Ed Llewellyn (@EdLlewellynFCDO) September 12, 2023

The stamp is not "only an important sign of respect and admiration that Queen Elizabeth was able to inspire in the hearts of Italians over the years and on the occasion of her numerous visits to Italy" - Ambassador Llewellyn said - "It is also testimony to the great closeness and friendship that bind our countries, feelings that are cemented through the icon of our beloved Queen on this stamp."

The Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato has printed 540,000 of the stamps, priced at €1.30, with collectors' editions available from post offices with 'Spazio Filatelia' counters in cities around Italy as well as via the Filatelia Poste website.

For more details (in Italian) see TG Poste website. Photo Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy