First official Prince George of Cambridge stamp issued

The Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau has issued the first official stamp approved by Buckingham Palace and featuring an image of Prince George of Cambridge. The £2 stamp, designed by Stephen Perera, features a Getty Images photograph of Prince George in the arms of his mother the Duchess of Cambridge, standing beside Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London.

Prince George Alexander Louis was born on 22 July 2013 at 16.24BST and news of his arrival was kept from the waiting worldwide press until four hours after his birth. Prince George is third in line to the British throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William.

The formal bulletin announcing the royal birth was displayed on an easel outside Buckingham Palace, although in a break with tradition the news was first conveyed in a press release from Palace officials. Gun salutes signalled the birth in Bermuda, London, New Zealand, and Canada; the bells of Westminster Abbey and many other churches were rung; and iconic landmarks throughout the Commonwealth realms were illuminated in various colours, mostly blue to signify the birth of a boy.

In Gibraltar with the permission of the Royal Household, a Notice of Birth (the same one as is hanging outside Buckingham Palace) was attached to the front gate of The Convent (the official residence of the Governor of Gibraltar since 1728). With the Rock as the backdrop, members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment carried out a 21 gun salute to signal the birth.

Prince George of Cambridge stamp issue details

• Date of issue: 16 August 2013
• Designer: Stephen Perrera
• Illustration: copyright Getty Images
• Denomination: £2
• Printer BDT International

To purchase the stamp, visit the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau website.

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