Royal Mail unveils five Nativity stamps for Christmas 2026

London-based Royal Mail has unveiled its Christmas 2026 stamp collection, five designs depicting the Nativity, the postal operator said this week, in a release that marks the 60th anniversary of Britain's first special Christmas stamp issue. BBC News reported the set was created jointly by graphic designer Gareth Howat and illustrator Rebecca Sutherland.

What scenes appear on the 2026 stamps?

The five-stamp series shows Mary and Joseph travelling, the baby Jesus, an angel, the shepherds, and the Three Wise Men, according to Royal Mail's release as reported by the BBC. The imagery follows last year's set, which also used Nativity scenes rather than the snowy cathedral views or carol-lyric designs Royal Mail has issued in other recent years.

Who designed the stamps?

Howat handled the graphic design and Sutherland supplied the illustrations, the BBC reported. Sutherland said she had collected stamps since childhood and called the commission an "absolute honour."

"Being asked to create a set myself feels incredibly special," Sutherland said.

Why does 2026 mark a 60th anniversary for Christmas stamps?

Royal Mail issued its first Christmas stamp in December 1966, after then-postmaster Tony Benn announced a children's art competition to choose the design, according to the BBC. The 2026 collection is being released to coincide with that 60-year milestone in the tradition of British festive stamps.

By the numbers

• 5 stamps in the 2026 Christmas set
• 60 years since Royal Mail's first Christmas stamp, issued in December 1966

How do this year's designs compare with past Christmas stamps?

Recent Royal Mail Christmas collections have alternated between religious and secular themes. Some years pictured snow-covered UK cathedrals or lines from well-known carols, while the 2025 set, like the new 2026 collection, used Nativity scenes, the BBC reported. The repeated use of Nativity imagery in consecutive years is a departure from the more varied rotation Royal Mail has followed in the past.

What did Royal Mail say about the release?

David Gold, a Royal Mail official, said the company hopes "this year's Christmas stamps will add an extra touch of festive magic to the millions of greetings sent to family and friends at home and around the world," according to the BBC. The source material reviewed did not include pricing or an on-sale date for the collection.

Is there a human story behind the designs?

Sutherland's connection to the project traces back to her own stamp-collecting as a child, she told the BBC, a detail that frames the commission as more than a routine design job for the illustrator. Royal Mail did not provide further biographical detail on either Sutherland or Howat in the material reviewed, and the BBC report did not specify where or when the new stamps go on sale to the public ahead of the holiday season.

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