POSTAGE stamps with the Queen’s face on them have been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect.
Following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty, the adhesive squares usually stuck on the top right corners of envelopes have been solemnly dropped to half-mast in tribute, according to tradition.
Onlooker Mary Fisher said: “I’d been waiting outside the gates of Buckingham Palace once I’d heard she wasn’t well. When the guards came out and commenced the ceremonial lowering of the stamps, I knew it was the end of an era.
“Throughout the country every Post Office has followed protocol, even the ones in WH Smith. It’s reassuring to know that despite everything – the Sex Pistols, Nintendo Gameboys, Naked Attraction on Channel 4 – the country retains tradition and composure.”
Royalist Denys Finch-Hatton said: “It’s this sort of pageantry, even during a tragedy, which Britain excels at. Everywhere you go, people are folding their banknotes lengthways so they too are commemorating the passing of an icon.
“In the run up to the state funeral expect to see the Royal Navy fire a 21-corgi salute, a condolence book posted to everyone celebrating their 100th birthday and a flypast by the Royal yacht. It’s what makes us great as a nation.”
