1. Queen Elizabeth
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A set of eight new stamps featuring a selection of some of the most memorable events of Queen Elizabeth's 60 years of reign will be released by Royal Mail on 31 May, 2012.

The set of eight individual royal portraits of the Queen will chart six decades of British history using archived photography of significant royal moments. This includes the Queen's first Christmas broadcast in 1957, trooping the colour in 1967 and celebrations of her golden jubilee in 2002.

This is the third and final stamp issue in 2012 to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. The first was the house of Windsor and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha issue issued on 2 February, 2012. The second was the diamond jubilee definitive sheet, issued on 6 February; the same day the Queen ascended the throne in 1952.

The eight stamps give a fascinating insight into the hugely diverse duties the Queen has performed; from delivering the first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957, to inspecting the second battalion royal welsh, as commander-in-chief of the UK's armed forces, half a century later in 2007. The Queen's 60-year-reign is already the second longest for a British monarch. Queen Victoria, on the other hand, ruled for 63 years and 7 months.

The Royal Mail informed that the Queen's 25th, 40th and 50th jubilees were also marked with special stamp issues; an illustration of the Queen in 1977, a combination of public and private portraits in 1992, and black and white portrait images for the golden jubilee in 2002.

"The diamond jubilee, only the second in royal history, is a very important anniversary. The world's attention will be drawn towards this special occasion," Moya Greene, chief executive, royal mail, said in a statement. "Royal Mail is honoured to have such an enduring relationship with the Queen. We are proud to mark the occasion by celebrating the official roles of the Queen with distinctive and memorable images, many of which have not been widely seen before. The stamps chart the Queen's reign across the six decades and highlight her unwavering commitment to national duty."

The sheet also included a brand new first class diamond jubilee blue definitive, the UK's everyday stamp, which replaces the gold definitive for 2012. It can be bought in post office branches and other stamp retailers.