The long-awaited special stamps to commemorate the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, will be on sale from February, the Post Office has announced.

The special issue is expected to raise several million pounds for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, which will receive all the profits.

The five stamps will be on sale in post offices from Tuesday, February 3 - which the Post Office described as "the earliest possible release date".

Design and production of the stamps started in the week of the Princess's death, but the Post Office said then the release had been put on hold at the wish of the Spencer family.

The issue of the stamps was delayed over fears they would add to the distress of Diana's sons

The stamps, all 26p first class, feature both formal and informal poses. Each stamp has a purple border as a mark of respect.

Post Office chief executive John Roberts said: "The tragic death of the Princess deeply shocked and saddened the nation. The stamps will be a beautiful and enduring tribute to her life.

"We hope there will be a considerable demand so that the Memorial Fund can benefit by millions of pounds, giving a boost to the charities to which the Princess was so devoted."

Five faces of a Princess

More than 120 million stamps in sets of five will be released to meet the expected demand. The stamps feature:

• A photograph by Lord Snowdon, featured in the Christie's catalogue for the charity dress auction held in June 1997.
• An informal photograph by John Stillwell of PA News, taken in April at the British Lung Foundation in London.
• A formal photograph by Lord Snowdon, taken on the eve of an official visit by the Princess to Pakistan in 1991.
• An informal photograph by Tim Graham, taken when the Princess visited the National Institute of Conductive Education in Birmingham in October 1995.
• A portrait photograph taken by the late Terence Donovan in 1987.

It was understood members of the Spencer family were concerned that Prince William and Prince Harry would be upset at seeing their mother's face on stamps soon after her death.
 

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