A first-class way to celebrate his love of flowers the king a blooming lovely special issue set of stamps features his majesty’s silhouette

R oyal Mail has unveiled the first special issue of stamps featuring the King’s silhouette – and they feature a nod to one of his greatest passions, gardening.

The set of ten stamps celebrates popular flowers grown in the UK and includes His Majesty’s uncrowned profile in the top left-hand corner, in silver and facing right.

Created with gardening writer Naomi Slade, the set marks the first change of monarch silhouette since 1968 and is the first to feature the King since the Queen’s death last September. Her silhouette is on stamps unveiled last month for the 100th anniversary of steam locomotive the Flying Scotsman.

The new floral designs, which are available to pre-order and go on general sale on 23 March, feature a flower against a white background, with the common name for the blooms written alongside it. They depict examples of sweet pea, iris, lily, sunflower, fuchsia, tulip, peony, nasturtium, rose and dahlia.

Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy David Gold said: “Britain is a nation of gardeners and a love of flowers runs deep in our collective consciousness.

“His Majesty is known to be a passionate gardener and we are delighted that the first special stamps to feature his silhouette should be a celebration of some of the most popular flowers in British gardens.”

The gardener King has transformed the grounds of his Highgrove House home on the Gloucestershire estate over the past 40 years.

He also selected the flowers for his mother’s wreath for her funeral, with blooms including pink garden roses and da