Italian stamp honours Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her death.

Italy has honoured the late Queen Elizabeth II with a new postage stamp issued to mark the first anniversary of her death at Balmoral one year ago.

The commemorative stamp was unveiled on Tuesday at a ceremony in Rome in the presence of the minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and the British ambassador in Italy, Ed Llewellyn.

The stamp depicts a series of coloured silhouettes of "Regina Elisabetta II", marking various phases of her life as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Alla regina #ElisabettaII del Regno Unito è dedicato un #francobollo commemorativo ad un anno dalla sua scomparsa.
Oggi cerimonia di emissione con ministro @adolfo_urso, ambasciatore @UKinItalia @EdLlewellynFCDO, @IPZS, @PosteItaliane.

https://t.co/krD53apLSr pic.twitter.com/Jjb3dNW3QZ

— MIMIT (@mimit_gov) September 12, 2023

The initiative marks a rare instance of Italy dedicating a commemorative stamp to a non-Italian, an honour which in the past has been bestowed only on a handful of personalities including former popes, Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale.

Today, Italy did something wonderful. They published a beautiful stamp in honour of our late Queen. The first time, with the exception of former Popes, that Italy has done so for a non-Italian. Thank you, Italy, from your British friends, for this very touching gesture pic.twitter.com/hFSt5PsuxC

— Ed Llewellyn (@EdLlewellynFCDO) September 12, 2023