Imagine the chaos. Royal Mail would have to recall 20 billion stamps. That’s insane. People would riot at post offices.
Instead, they are phasing them out slowly. They introduced new stamps with King Charles III. But the Queen’s stamps keep working. It’s a quiet, polite British transition.
Anniversary of 'Queen's head' design marked with new stamps - BBC News
It’s like the Queen herself. She never left in a hurry. She’s still there, in your mailbox, smiling.
The weird exception you need to know.
This rule only applies in the UK. If you try to mail a letter from France with the Queen’s head, it won’t work. Sorry. The French postman will laugh at you.
Also, non-barcoded stamps have a deadline. Royal Mail stopped selling them in 2026. But if you already own one, you can swap it. They have a swap program. You mail your old stamp in. They send you a new one. It’s a stamp-for-stamp exchange.
Yes, you have to use a stamp to swap a stamp. That’s beautifully circular.
