The Wilding definitives, introduced in December 1952, were the first British postage stamps to portray HM Queen Elizabeth II following her accession. They featured a photographic portrait taken by court photographer Dorothy Wilding (1893–1976) at Buckingham Palace on 26 February 1952, only 20 days after she became Queen, framed with elegant designs by Enid Marx (1992–1998), Michael Charles Farrar-Bell (1911–1993), George Knipe (1913–1992), Mary Adshead (1904–1995), and Edmund Dulac (1882–1953).
Issued in a wide range of denominations, the series evolved to incorporate important postal innovations such as graphite lines and phosphor bands, enabling automated mail sorting. The Wildings remained Great Britain’s definitive stamps until they were gradually replaced by the Machin series from 1967, becoming enduring icons of early Elizabethan philately. The stamps were printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd.
Great Britain