[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Celebrates the Legend of Robin Hood with a Set of Special Stamps

• The 10-stamp set depicts key moments in the famous legend of Robin Hood, from him being outlawed to his marriage to Maid Marian and his death, and including popular characters such as Friar Tuck, the Sheriff and King Richard
• The powerful illustrations were created exclusively for Royal Mail by British award-winning concept artist Jon McCoy
• Royal Mail worked with Dr Lesley Coote, Fellow of the University of Hull School of Humanities and established expert on Robin Hood
• The stamps are on general sale now at www.royalmail.com/robinhood and by telephone on 03457 641 641
• All 10 stamps in a Presentation Pack are priced at £11.90

Royal Mail is celebrating the story of the legendary and popular English folk outlaw Robin Hood with a set of 10 exclusively illustrated stamps.

The 10-stamp set depicts key moments in the famous legend of Robin Hood, from him being outlawed to his marriage to Maid Marian and his death, and including popular characters such as Friar Tuck, the Sheriff and King Richard

The stamps depict the following events:

• Robin Hood is declared an outlaw
• Robin Hood meets Little John
• Friar Tuck carries Robin Hood
• Robin Hood robs the rich
• Robin Hood wins the archery contest
• Robin Hood captures the Sheriff
• Robin Hood helps Maid Marian escape
• Robin Hood and Maid Marian marry
• King Richard removes his disguise
• Robin Hood shoots his last arrow

The powerful illustrations were created exclusively for Royal Mail by concept artist Jon McCoy. Award-winning McCoy has worked on feature films such as: The Batman; Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker; Avengers; and Blade Runner 2049.

Jon McCoy said: “It’s been an amazing honour to illustrate for Royal Mail, one of the great English legends, and favourite stories from my childhood. I hope everyone enjoys these stamps as much as I did.”

Royal Mail also worked with Dr Lesley Coote, Fellow of the University of Hull School of Humanities and established expert on Robin Hood, who advised on the content used in the wider product range.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “These atmospheric illustrations bring to life the timeless stories of the Legend of Robin Hood, his merry men and Maid Marion. With its themes of friendship, loyalty, humanity and love, the enduring legend of Robin Hood has captured the hearts and imagination of people for centuries and will continue to do so.”

The stamps are available now at www.royalmail.com/robinhood and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at £11.90.

The Legend of Robin Hood:
No particular individual can be proved to have been the ‘original’ Robin Hood; the figure may have been based on more than one person, or none. Traditionally, Robin Hood is made an outlaw by the corrupt Sherriff of Nottingham, so that he can confiscate Robin’s earldom of Huntingdon. In some stories, Robin plays into the Sherriff’s hands by protecting poachers in the royal forest of Sherwood Forest and builds a band of loyal outlaws, his ‘merry men’.

Foremost among these is Little John, a powerful man whom Robin invites to join he outlaws when John bests him in a quarterstaff fight. Friar Tuck is a former hermit with a fearsome reputation, known for carrying travellers over a nearby river. When Robin asks to be carried to the far bank, Tuck carries him over but then draws his sword and demands that Robin carry him back. Robin calls his men, and Tuck his dogs, but Robin avoids a damaging fight and asks Tuck to join the outlaws.

In later traditions, ‘Maid’ Marian is a nobleman’s daughter whom Robin helps escape when her father attempts to force her into life as a nun. Instead, Marian joins Robin’s band of outlaws. Marian and Robin fall in love and marry.

Robin and his comrades steal valuables from those who, like the monks from St Mary’s Abbey, hoard wealth they do not need. The outlaws redistribute the riches to those – from all walks of life – who do need them. Mostly, the outlaws rob people travelling along what became known as the Great North Road.

The Sherriff becomes Robin’s sworn enemy; a superb archer, Robin shames the Sherriff by winning the golden arrow in his archery contest. Sometimes the Sherriff is lured into the forest by Robin (or sometimes by Little John), where he is captured, tied up, stripped, and mocked by the outlaws, while in other stories he is killed, either for his bad faith or because he is their enemy.

Eventually, the King, disguised as an abbot, contrives to meet the outlaws in Sherwood Forest. He removes his disguise; the outlaws pledge their loyalty, and he pardons them. Robin goes to serve the King, but he later returns to the forest.

Robin Hood represents the powerless. Corrupt authority steals his power and agency, but he gradually takes them back – and helps others to do the same.

In the end, he is bled to death by his kinswoman the Abbess of Kirklees, but he takes charge again by firing the arrow that will mark his grave.

VSC: Royal Mail is offering an array of philatelic products, including a presentation pack, two postmarks for first day covers (the Wakefield postmark is shown on the right here), unserviced cacheted envelopes, framed stamps, full and half sheets of the Robin Hood Is Declared An Outlaw or Robin Hood Captures The Sheriff first-class stamps (but not for the other 8 stamps), and a set of picture postcards (below). However, we don’t see a minisheet or any platinum stamps this time (which would have been rather ironic considering Robin steals from the rich).