The first day cover is a pictorial envelope with gummed stamps from the 100 Years of Queen Elizabeth's Birth stamp issue affixed and postmarked. The first day cover is valid for postage only on the day of issue, from the post office named on the postmark.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926 at her maternal grandparents’ home in London’s Mayfair. Until the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII, it was not expected that the young princess would one day become Queen; she had been third in the line of succession to the throne until her grandfather George V died in January 1936 and Edward succeeded him.

King Edward’s abdication less than a year after he was crowned led to Elizabeth’s father, the Duke of York, being crowned King George VI, a position he served until his death on 6 February 1952. Edward’s abdication irrevocably changed the very nature of Elizabeth’s childhood and family life, which could no longer be lived largely out of the public eye. With her father’s accession to the throne, Elizabeth became the heir presumptive.

HRH Princess Elizabeth was just 25 years old when she acceded to the throne on the death of King George VI on 6 February 1952, assuming all the responsibilities and duties that accompany the title. Her spectacular coronation took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, where every British coronation has taken place since 1066.

Elizabeth was the first British monarch to visit Australia, touring with Prince Philip in 1954. During her reign, she made more than 200 visits to Commonwealth countries, including a total of 16 visits to Australia. The last of these was made in 2011.

Like Queen Victoria, Elizabeth enjoyed a long reign. For seven decades she was Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth, longer than any British monarch and any female head of state in recorded history. Aged 96, she died on 8 September 2022, her state funeral taking place at Westminster Abbey on 19 September.

HM Queen Elizabeth is being remembered in the centenary year of her birth through various public commemorations in England. Key among these commemorative projects are a significant exhibition of her wardrobe and gowns, to be held at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace; the opening of a two-acre memorial garden (designed by HTA Design with Noel Kingsbury and Tate + Co.) in Regent’s Park, London, which includes floral species important to the late Queen; and the unveiling of a national memorial (commissioned from Foster + Partners through a design competition) in St James’s Park, London, close to Buckingham Palace.