Royal Mail marks 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with Special Stamps

Available on Tuesday, the ten First Class stamps pay tribute to the genius of Shakespeare through his immortal words and poetry.

From Tuesday until Saturday, a special postmark will be applied to UK stamped mail commemorating 400 years since the Bard’s death. It will say William Shakespeare 1564-1616.

Having previously issued stamps that depict performances of his plays, a painting of the bard himself and the world famous Globe Theatre, this set focuses on the power of Shakespeare’s words, and selected poignant lines from his plays and poems. 

Shakespeare’s plays have been constantly re-interpreted and performed and he is arguably the most influential writer of all time: even those who have never read or seen one of his plays will be familiar with a host of the 1,700 words and phrases he introduced into the English language, including ‘assassination’ first used in Macbeth and ‘all’s well that ends well' from the play of the same name.

"Over 50 years, William Shakespeare and his work have appeared on 25 stamps making him the most featured individual on Special Stamps outside of the Royal Family, read a statement issued by Royal Mail . 

Philip Parker, Stamp Strategy Manager, Royal Mail, said: “It is fitting that Shakespeare is being honoured with a set of stamps to mark the 400th anniversary of his death. The stamps celebrate the power of his language, which continues to influence us every day.”