Australia Post is commemorating the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton with the release of an instant stamp sheetlet to complement the official stamps issued on 12 April.
The instant stamp issue will be available in a sheetlet of 10 x 60c stamps from participating post offices tomorrow and features an image of the joyous couple taken on their wedding day.
…very popular….
"Australia Post is delighted to commemorate the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, with a set of stamps that captures the happy couple on their wedding day," said Australia Post Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour.
"The official stamp issue has been very popular, with a number of post offices making additional orders to keep up with the strong demand. If the public’s response to these stamps is any indication, we expect the instant stamps will be well received. We are encouraging stamp collectors and royal fans to put their orders in early to avoid disappointment."
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Prince William and Catherine Middleton were unofficially engaged whilst holidaying in Kenya in October 2010. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales formally announced his elder son’s engagement to Miss Catherine Middleton on 16 November 2010. The couple’s wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on Friday 29 April 2011.
…a signficant event for the Australian nation…
"Australia Post has a proud history of commemorating significant events with instant stamp issues. Our first instant stamps were released during the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to recognise the gold winning performances of our Australian athletes.
Earlier this year, we released our first charity instant stamp to support those affected by the Queensland floods," Mr Fahour said.
The stamps are able to be released within days of the wedding due to special technology that allows the images to be uploaded into a Royal Wedding stamp template, pre-approved by Buckingham Palace.
The Royal Wedding instant stamp sheetlet will be followed by a stamp and coin cover featuring a coin from the Royal Australian Mint, available from 20 May 2011.
The instant stamp release complements the official stamp products released on 12 April, which included a minisheet, first day cover, stamp pack, self-adhesive booklet of 10 x 60c stamps and a set of maxicards.
The stamp and associated products are available from participating Australia Post retail outlets, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at www.auspost.com.au/stamps from 4 May while stocks last.