Christian in new stamps

Some news about stamps. Two new ones have been released, the first featuring Christian.

Annual charity stamp
The annual charity stamp has been a regular item on the stamp programme for many years. The surcharge, which has been DKK 0.50 per stamp since 1986, is donated to an organisation that is devoted to charitable work or to combating disease.
The tradition of issuing charity stamps can be traced all the way back to 1921, when the first two were issued on behalf of the Danish Red Cross. Since then, charity stamps have been issued regularly, sometimes more than once a year.
The 2007 charity stamp marks the fact that Denmark has a new heir to the throne. The money raised will go to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's Fund for Charitable and Humanitarian purposes.

Prince Christian
The stamp features Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary with Denmark's future monarch, Prince Christian. Born on 15 October 2005 in Copenhagen University Hospital, he was christened Christian Valdemar Henri John in Christianborg Palace Chapel on 21 January 2006.
The stamp is based on a photograph from August 2006, when the prince was ten months old.

Heirs to the Danish throne on charity stamps
The tradition of featuring heirs to the Danish throne on a charity stamp dates back to 1941, when Princess Margrethe appeared along with her mother, Crown Princess Ingrid. The stamp was issued on Priness Margrethe's first birthday. The DKK 0.005 surcharge went to the Children's Office. Two years later, the same stamp was issued in a new colour and with a new price - this time the money went to the Child Care Association.
The tradition continued in 1969, when Prince Frederik and his parents appeared on the annual charity stamp. It was issued in two different prices and the DKK 0.10 surcharge went to the Danish Red Cross.
Crown Prince Frederik has also appeared on other Danish special stamps on several occasions. The last time was in 2004, when two stamps were issued featuring the Prince and his bride to celebrate the royal wedding.

Steen Evald
Steen Evald took the photograph on which the engraving for the charity stamp is based. It is the second occasion on which he has supplied pictures for a Danish stamp. The two 'wedding stamps' in 2004, featuring the portrait of the Crown Prince and his bride, were Evald's first stamp commissions. As many of you will remember, those two stamps were later voted winners of the 'Stamp' of the Year' competition.

Photographer for the royal family
Steen Evald first took photos for the Danish royal family at the Crown Prince's 30th's birthday in 1998. Since then, he has photographed several other royals, and produced the first official photographic portrait of Crown Princess Mary.
Before taking the picture of the couple and Prince Christian, Evald looked at the 1969 charity stamp featuring the reigning monarch, her husband and Crown Prince Frederik. It was important to him that his photograph did not end up looking too much like the old stamp.
Evald has found it fascinating to supply the photos for Danish stamps, especially because he collected stamps as a youngster. 'There is something timeless about stamps, they last for many years - unlike, for example, a fashion mag,' he explains.



The Greenland stamp, which is a normal stamp, shows the Crown Prince Family in national Greenlandic dress.






The Mayor of the Nuup Commune in Greenland, Agnethe Davidsen, displays its Christmas present to Prince Christian. Christian's national dress was made by Priscilla Josefsen, who also made the national dress for Crown Princess Mary as a wedding gift.

Greenland Collector - stamps can be ordered through this link from 15 January 2007.

New! Princess Mary's stamp of approval from NEWS.com.au