The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Part 1, a 2012 souvenir sheet of 4 stamps from Canada.

 

Canada Post is issuing 'The Young Queen 1952 - 1962', the first of six Diamond Jubilee mini-panes of four stamps — one for each ten-year period in The Queen’s reign. Each souvenir sheet features a different stamp-on-stamp design using some of the most popular Queen Elizabeth II stamps. The selvedge of the mini-panes visually highlights important events during the period of time depicted by the stamp, including Royal Visits and other events in Canadian history.

At just 25, Princess Elizabeth lost her father, King George VI, and became Queen (of the Empire), the Head of State of the United Kingdom and all other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, all on a single day—-February 6, 1952. Married fewer than five years to her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, a navy man stationed in Malta, Elizabeth’s comfortable life as a naval wife and young mother of two small children changed immediately and irreversibly on that day. From St. James’s Palace in London came the proclamation that “the high and mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary” would become Queen. Abruptly ending a tour in a remote part of Kenya, the Princess flew back to Britain as Queen and was greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other officials at the airport. Her coronation on June 2, 1953 in Westminster Abbey, was conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury. It inspired huge celebrations in Ottawa and throughout Canada. On the day following her coronation, she wasted no time getting down to business and met with all the ministers of the Commonwealth, including then Canadian Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent.

In the past 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II has made 22 state visits to Canada. Her image has been a constant in schools and other official buildings and she has graced Canada’s stamp since she took the Throne.