Queen Elizabethhas certainly put her own stamp on British postage!
The 93-year-old monarch appeared to put the family drama surrounding Prince Andrew to the side on Tuesday during a visit to the Royal Philatelic Society. She was all smiles in a blue coat and matching hat (along with her signature handbag and gloves) as she celebrated the organization’s 150th Anniversary and opened their new building.
The Queen was shown a number of artifacts related to philately, the study of stamps and postal history, including stamps featuring herself through the years. The royal was also shown display frames from five previous monarchs.
Queen Elizabethlistened intently to the history of the items — after all, she’s believed to have astamp collection worth millions!
Tolga Akmen/ AFP via Getty
Queen Elizabeth.Tolga Akmen/ AFP via Getty
The scene echoes one from the new season ofTheCrown,in whichOlivia Colmanas the Queen views new stamps featuring her visage. In a recent interview withemmymagazine, Colmanadmitted to letting loose on set— including sending her husband a photo of a prop postage stamp.
One of her rule breaking moments? Swiping a few of those stamps with her face.
“It’s framed in my downstairs loo,” she confessed.
Tolga Akmen/Getty
Despite theshocking announcement that her son Prince Andrewwas “stepping back from public duties” last week,Queen Elizabethstepped out solo to present an award to Sir David Attenborough and Julian Hector, head of the BBC Natural History Unit, for their work on theBlue Planet IIseries.
Just moments before her outing, it was revealed that the Queen gave permission for her son, the Duke of York, to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” in the aftermath of hisexplosive BBC interviewabout his ties to disgraced financierJeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.Ian Forsyth/Getty Images; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support,” Prince Andrew said in a statement.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth.Ben Cawthra/Sipa
The monarch even retained her sense of humor at last week’s event,cracking a jokeabout her 72nd wedding anniversary toPrince Philipbefore signing the visitors’ book.
“What’s the date?” she cheekily asked. And when she got an answer, she replied with a laugh: “Well, of course I know what the date is!”
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The Queen was seenhorseback riding with Prince Andrewon Friday.
source: people.com
