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King Charles III is the first monarch in British history to be depicted without a crown on postage stamps.
British Royal Mail announced on Wednesday the release of new stamps depicting the monarch, who will be formally crowned on May 6.
Sculptor Martin Jennings sculpted the profile of the 74-year-old King for the design.
“The response we received [from Charles] was that he wanted it to be straightforward. David Gold, head of external affairs for Royal Mail, remarked, “It’s a very human image, without embellishment.”
“What distinguishes this stamp is that there are no embellishments, no crown, just the face of a person on a plain background, as if to say, ‘This is me, and I am at your service.’ In our modern era, I believe it to be quite humbling.”
Prior to the coronation of George IV in 1821, monarchs, including his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, wore a diamond diadem.
Even if a monarch elected not to wear a crown, it would be depicted beside them in portraits.
Charles is the seventh king to appear on definitive stamps, which are standard, non-commemorative postage stamps.
The diamond diadem constructed for the 1821 coronation of George IV was worn by previous rulers, including his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
As the United Kingdom completes its transition from Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty, new coins and banknotes featuring the King will soon enter circulation.
On April 4, the stamps will be on general sale in the United Kingdom. The British public will have to wait an additional year to see the King on bank notes; until then, bank notes featuring the late Queen will continue to circulate.
»King Charles is the first monarch without a crown to be featured on stamps«