Royal Mail has unveiled its Christmas stamp collection for this year, featuring Nativity scenes across five designs, created by Paula Doherty, an award-winning illustrator. The set includes: Angel – 2nd Class; Mary and Joseph – 2nd Large Letter; Mary and the Baby Jesus – 1st Class; Shepherds – 1st Large Letter; and Three Wise Men – £3.40.

The project involved scholars Ben Quash of King’s College London and Andrew Davison of the University of Oxford. David Gold of Royal Mail said: “For many people, once the Christmas stamps go on sale, the seasonal preparations can begin. There’s something truly magical about this time of year, and these stamps capture that spirit perfectly. We are very grateful to Paula Doherty for these beautiful illustrations, which set the perfect tone for the festive season.”

Paula Doherty said: “I’m so delighted that my designs will finally be out in print and feel excited and slightly overwhelmed to think that they will be on envelopes flying all around the world this Christmas. The hardest part of the whole process was keeping my involvement under wraps as the unveiling of the Christmas stamps is part of the magic so I couldn’t tell anyone until their release. It was a long time to keep a secret.”