Queen become only third band ever to be honoured with Royal Mail stamps

A kind of magic is on its way, as rockers Queen are to become only the third band ever to have a set of commemorative stamps printed in their honour.

The new set, which will go on sale from July 9, feature eight of the band's most popular album covers, including 1975's A Night At The Opera – most famous for Bohemian Rhapsody – and 1991's Innuendo, which was the band's last album released in the lifetime of singer Freddie Mercury.

Besides the album covers, the miniature sheet which accompanies the stamps features images of the band performing throughout the years, with a shot of bassist John Deacon in the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975, drummer Roger Taylor at Hyde Park the year later, and shots of Brian May in Budapest and Freddie Mercury in Wembley Stadium, both in 1986.

The band said they were thrilled with the tribute, with Taylor adding: "Wow – stamps featuring our albums. What an honour. We must be really part of the furniture now.”

“Since we four precocious boys started out on our quest 50 years ago, our lives have been devoted to making our impossible dream come true," said May. “Sometimes it’s strange to wake up and realise the position in which we are now held – we have become a national institution, and nothing brings this home more than this incredible tribute from Royal Mail."

The bands other albums to be featured are Queen II (1974), Sheer Heart Attack (1974), News Of The World (1977), The Game (1980), Greatest Hits (1981) and The Works (1984).

Philip Parker, of Royal Mail, said: “With their truly original, theatrical sound and effortless ability to mix musical styles, Queen are rock royalty. We pay tribute to one of the most loved bands of all time with these stunning stamps.”

The only two other bands to have had a dedicated stamp issue are the Beatles and Pink Floyd, who had the honour in 2007 and 2016 respectively.

Additional reporting by PA

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