The Queen's stamps : the authorised history of the Royal Philatelic Collection / Nicholas Courtney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Courtney, Nicholas.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stamp collections--Great Britain.

Stamp collections.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xi, 337 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits, map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London : Methuen, 2004.

Summary:

This is the story of the Royal Philatelic Collection, one of the greatest stamp collections ever put together. The Queen's Stamps -- The Authorised History of the Royal Philatelic Collection tells the fascinating tale of some of the rarest stamps in the world and of how successive royal collectors, beginning with Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria, acquired them. Prince George -- later King George V -- shared his uncle's enthusiasm, and it was he who built up the collection from a few 'schoolboy' albums of stamps compiled as a cadet in the Royal Navy, to his legacy, five decades later, of one of the most comprehensive collections of Great Britain and her Empire.

After George's death in 1936, despite mischievous rumours that his eldest son, Edward VIII, intended to sell the collection, generous funds were made available to continue its development; and when Edward's brother succeeded as King George VI, he too maintained his father's legacy. In her reign Queen Elizabeth II has not only ensured that the collection continues to flourish and expand but has also encouraged public access to its treasures through major philatelic exhibitions both in Britain and abroad. The Royal Philatelic Collection is undoubtedly the finest anywhere in the world, and reflects the history of Great Britain and its monarchs across six reigns. The Queen's Stamps is the first comprehensive, authorised narrative history of the collection and those who created it. Stunningly illustrated in full colour throughout, and written for the general reader as much as for the expert philatelist, it is the extraordinary story of a truly magnificent collection, and an important addition to the history of the royal family.

Contents:

Philatelic Map of the World xii.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-329).

ISBN:

0413772284 :

OCLC:

56043627