The Belgian postal service Bpost officially launched a new postage stamp this week, featuring an image of King Philippe. The new stamp follows the tradition of renewing the royal portrait every ten years, and "blends tradition with creativity."
The new portrait is based on an official photo by photographer Bas Bogaerts, who also took the photo for the special stamp issued two years ago to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Philippe's accession to the throne. The engraving is by international expert Martin Mörck, and the design is by graphic designer Myriam Voz.
"This combination of photography, engraving, and graphic design gives the stamps an identity that is both contemporary and timeless," said Carla De Boodt, head of bpost's philatelic programme.
Millions of the new stamps are printed, as the royal stamps are the best-selling ones in Belgium. The update is also generating particular interest among collectors.
From this week, the stamps are available throughout the bpost network and in the eShop. A standard set of ten stamps costs €14.90 at the post office.
