This page : Royal Events - Philatelic Events

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Royal Events

The abdication left many of the public in Britain and the Empire feeling undermined and disillusioned with royalty. King Edward VIII, the 'Prince of the People', had abdicated the throne to marry a woman who had been twice divorced, rather than settle the problem and serve his people. King George VI recognised this problem and was determined to become a force for stability and to re-establish the public's faith in the monarchy. 

During the first months of his reign George was immersed in the preparatory arrangements for his coronation. This was to occur much sooner after his accession than usual as it was decided to retain the coronation date planned for his brother. It was also recognised that the associated 'pomp and circumstance', and the celebrations across the Empire, would have a major uplifting effect.  

July - King George and Queen Elizabeth visit Scotland and Northern Ireland.

26 October - Opening of Parliament with a new Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain leading a coalition government.

Philatelic Events

Postage Stamps : Commemoratives : Booklets : Coil stamps : Airmail : Postage Dues : Other : Postmarks

For the new low value definitives, Edmund Dulac designed the profile of the King by adapting in a form more suitable for stamps, the photographs taken by Bertram Park. Dulac also designed the framework for the 7d to 1s values. Eric Gill designed the frames for the lower values.

8 March - In the House of Commons, the Postmaster General admits that there has still been no decision about producing a commemorative issue for the Coronation -
'Major Tryon - My attention has hitherto been devoted in the main to the preparation of designs for the permanent issue of stamps of the new reign. In this matter I have received valuable assistance from the Royal Fine Art Commission and from the Council for Art and Industry, and decisions have now been reached on the various considerations involved. I hope that the stamps of the new design in the most frequently used denominations will be ready by the date of the Coronation. The question of a special commemorative issue of certain of the higher denominations is now receiving urgent consideration.' [Hansard -  HC Deb 08 March 1937 vol 321 cc785-6]

22 March - The Postmaster General makes an announcement about a commemorative stamp for the coronation -
'Major Tryon - I am glad to say that I have been able to arrange for the issue of a special Coronation stamp. This will be a 1½d. stamp, which is the denomination most widely used in the Imperial and inland services....  I have thought that it would be better to issue a stamp which is in very general demand rather than some of the higher denominations which would not be so widely circulated.' He also stated that the Royal Fine Art Commission had seen the stamp and made some suggestions about it. [Hansard - HC Deb 22 March 1937 vol 321 cc2548-9]

10 May - Definitive issue of ½d; 1d; and 2½d

13 May - Coronation stamp issued.

29 July - Edward VIII stamps are withdrawn

30 July - Definitive issue of 1½d

30 December - approval of final essay for 3d definitive, (issued 31/1/1938).

[For a detailed account of the processes involved in the design and printing of the low value definitives - see 'Great Britain King George VI Low Value Definitive Stamps' by Peter Worsfold and the Philatelic Bulletin, August to October, 1973].

 Booklets -

19 March - 5/- (series 5) Edward VIII booklets issued

26 August - 3/- (series 3) George VI booklets issued

August - 2/- (series 4); 5/- (series 5) booklets issued

December 1937 - Edward VIII booklets withdrawn

Coil stamps -

Month? 1937 - ½d, 1d, 1½d, and 2½d coil stamps with upright watermark issued.

 Airmail -

2 January - Twice weekly service to India and Australia carried by Imperial Airways from Britain to Paris then by rail to Marseilles from where it is flown by flying boat to India. The first flying boat was the Castor. Previous to this mail had been transported by rail from Paris to Brindisi before being air mailed.

From 'Flight' magazine, 21 January 1937, p49; "GRADUALLY the railway link is being eliminated from the air journey between Great Britain and Egypt. Imperial Airways have doubtless been wise to advance by gradual steps since putting Canopus, Centaurus and Castor into service. The completed plan will be for all passengers and mails to embark at some South Coast port — at present Hythe in Southampton Water is being used, but ultimately the base will be at Portsmouth — and to fly straight to Marseilles and thence to Brindisi before setting out for Rome, Athens and Alexandria. There the two services to Durban and Sydney will diverge, but boats of the Empire class will fly right through to both termini.
On receipt of the first boats of the batch, Imperial Airways first sent' mails through by them to Marseilles, and later, also, Castor picked up the passengers who had reached that port by train. The passengers now score by having to spend only one night in the train instead of the two nights necessary when they could only embark on flying boats at Brindisi. Castor used this "mail only" flight to Marseilles as an opportunity to prove her capabilities by flying right through non-stop, not using either of the refuelling places which have been provided on the Seine and the Saone.
Last week Centaurus took a further step forward, for she carried nine passengers through from Hythe to Marseilles (as well as a ton of mails) and on to Alexandria. These passengers had not to use a train at all except to get to Hythe. This was only a trial flight, and until several more boats have been delivered the regular plan will be to go by train to Marseilles ; but this is much less wearisome than the rail journey to Brindisi. Centaurus and her sisters are far more comfortable than any train."

3 April - increase in air fees to French Guinea, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Letters up from 10d to 1/3 per half ounce, postcards up from 5d to 7d. 

9 - 14 May - Anglo-American Goodwill Coronation Flight - separate page.

15 May - Airmails to South Africa carried by Imperial Airways flying boat to Kisumu, then transferred to land planes. {then see 2 June}

1 June - First air mail flight, Jersey to Southampton.

 9 August - extension to the 'All-Up' airmail scheme to Europe with letters and postcards being carried at the ordinary postage rates without additional air fee or need for airmail labels. This scheme already applied to the Baltic countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, (since 17 March 1936). It was now extended to include Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Southern Russia, Turkey and Yugoslavia. An anomaly arose from this scheme where airmail letters to France still cost 4d, while to these other countries it was only 2½d (cf 4 October). This nightly service was operated by British Airways and Lufthansa alternately. The first mail flown on 9 August by British Airways, arriving at Berlin at 5.40 a.m. on 10 August.

3 October - start of Sabena-Deutsche Lufthansa route - London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Munich. Special cards posted at Croydon for this flight were autographed by pilot Van Den Eynde.

4 October - further extension of the 'All-up' airmail scheme to include Belgium, France and Italy. [Gibraltar, Malta, Portugal and Spain are the only countries left not covered by the All-up' scheme in Europe - 4d air fee still to be paid].

13 October - extension to Imperial Airways airmail service from London to Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Gold Coast. 6d per half ounce, 3d for postcards. First flight - Calpurnia left Southampton 15 October, arriving at Accra on 20 October.

23 November - first regular airmail service for the Shetland Isles to Aberdeen. Airmail was carried three times a week by Allied Airways (Gandar Dower) Ltd, (formerly Aberdeen Airways). The first plane used was the DeHavilland 'Dragon' (G-ACNJ - 'Sir Rowland') - piloted by Captain Eric Starling, carrying 448lbs of mail. The route taken was : Aberdeen, Dyce Airport, depart 09.30 / via Thurso and Howe (in the Orkneys) / arriving Shetland, Sumburgh Airport at 12.19. The return route, with 625lbs of mail, was direct from Shetland to Aberdeen, (Howe and Thurso were already covered by contracted mail routes with Highland Airways). 

There were no special postmarks or handstamps, and only a few covers were backstamped. Some covers have 'Aberdeen Airways Ltd' labels, and a few special covers were produced.

5 December - S23 flying boat Cygnus crashed when taking off from Brindisi in Italy. It was operating between Karachi and London. A steward and a passenger were killed. The plane carried a large amount of mail from Australia and New Zealand, most of which was salvaged and marked by cachet DAMAGED BY SEA WATER in London.

24 December - Christmas flight by Highland Airways - Kirkwall to Fair Isle and return. Pilot dressed as Father Christmas, souvenir mail flown.

December - The Post Office waived the collection of surcharges on over-weight and unfranked letters arriving by airmail from all Empire countries on the England - South Africa route for the Christmas period. Special labels were affixed to some underpaid mail.

Other -

25 January - The Postmaster General stated that by the end of 1936 the Post Office owned 5,281 motor mail vans, and that during that year there had been four accidents involving motor mail vans and fatal injuries. [Hansard]

8 February - FRANKING STAMPS (ADVERTISEMENTS).

'Mr. McGhee asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that private firms are allowed to use for their letters a franking stamp which comprises a postage stamp with the crown and royal monogram, a post mark, and a liquor advertisement; and whether he will treat this practice as a contravention of Post Office policy, which forbids the use of public buildings and publications for liquor advertisements?

Major Tryon - The use of a postage-meter machine by private firms is allowed under licence from the Postmaster-General, and licensees are permitted to incorporate in the stamping mechanism a device for printing an advertisement or slogan to the left of the postal indications. I see no reason to interfere with the licensee's choice of an advertisement, as long as it is one which would in any case be allowed on the left of the address side of his other letters.

Mr. Macquisten - Why should the Government be ashamed of a liquor advertisement, seeing that it derives so much of its revenue from that source?'

[Hansard - HC Deb 08 February 1937 vol 320 c37]

Postage Dues -

March - 3d postage due stamp of Edward VIII issued

May - 1d, 2d, 2/6d postage due stamps of Edward VIII issued

June - ½d postage due stamp of Edward VIII issued

Month? 1937 - 4d dull grey-green and 1/- deep blue postage due stamps of George VI issued

Postmarks -

Many of the entries below are taken from 'Special Event Postmarks of the United Kingdom' by George R. Pearson. Published by the British Postmark Society, 1991 who give kind permission for reproduction.

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Contact : Malcolm Sanders :  kg6gb@hotmail.com