Stamps mark 60th anniversary of Queen's coronation

London, May 31: A set of stamps, featuring six portraits of Queen Elizabeth II spanning the length of the monarch's reign, were launched in London on Thursday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

Queen's coronation was held more than a year after the accession, on June 2, 1953. Royal Mail has released the set of stamps, including a painting specially commissioned by it.

It was painted by Nicky Philipps following sittings in Buckingham Palace last year.

The artist also painted a double portrait of Princes William and Harry in 2009.

Royal Mail is gifting the portrait to the Royal Collection, the BBC reported.

Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene said, "Royal Mail is proud to mark the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen's coronation by commissioning a painted portrait. This is the first time in our history we have done so."

"The Queen's image is one of the most recognisable in the world and we are delighted to bring this portrait, along with five others, together in a special stamp set to mark the 60th anniversary of her coronation," Greene said.

The other portraits of the 87-year-old Queen span the length of the monarch's reign.

They are the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II by Terence Cuneo in 1953, a portrait by Andrew Festing in 1999, a portrait by Pietro Annigoni in 1955, a portrait by Sergei Pavlenko in 2000 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Richard Stone from 1992.

Stamps depicting the Queen are not required to carry the small silhouette of her, which appears in the top corner of all other stamps