New Issue: Roses (GB)

Royal Mail has issued a new set of stamps today - it's fourth set of the year so far (and we're still in February!) These stamps take a look at roses and, as you might imagine, they are quite pretty and show ten different varieties of roses. These are: Second Class: Dog Rose Rosa canina, Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’, Rosa ‘Just Joey’, Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’, Rosa ‘Étoile de Hollande’

First Class: Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’, Field Rose Rosa arvensis, Rosa ‘Charles de Mills’, Rosa ‘Peace’, ‘Constance Spry’. All of this makes me wonder where the names come from. The only one I have heard of is Peace, and that's because my mum likes to visit garden centres.

Royal Mail's website tells us that each stamp shows "a watercolour painting with exceptional detail, created exclusively for Royal Mail by acclaimed botanical artist Marie Burke. The stamps showcase a stunning selection of rose varieties, from delicate wild species to classic garden favourites, celebrating the beauty of the featured roses."

Unusually, there is no miniature sheet for this set. It's also worth pointing out that there are five second class stamps in the set - the first time in 2026 this has happened. It's not the first time Royal Mail has issued stamps about roses. This set was from 1976:

There was another set of roses in 1991:

These are both of a very similar style - plain white backgrounds with detailed (almost scientific) drawings/paintings of roses by a botanical artist. So why did Royal Mail have to create third set which is very similar?

So yes, these are very nice to look at and the artwork is beautiful, but it also seems like no-one at Royal Mail can think of creative ways to show one of Britain's most famous flowers on its stamps.

Design Quality - I think the artwork on these stamps is wonderfully detailed - so much detail that they almost look like they’re from a science textbook or an old botanical guide. You can see every petal and leaf really clearly, and the colours are soft and natural. But isn't that part of the problem with them - they feel like something that belongs in a science book, a bit too much like the 1976 and 1991 issues as well as a bit flat and lifeless.

The overall design of the stamps feels too plain. They’re arranged very neatly but nothing really stands out as bold or exciting. It feels more like a collection of flower illustrations placed on stamps rather than something specially designed to be stamps. So while the artwork is great, the design itself feels a little underwhelming. So overall my view is "pretty but pretty uninspiring". 6/10

Theme and Subject Choice - They’re roses. Again. OK, I accept it's 35 years since the last roses stamps and I get that roses are popular, but if you're going to revisit the theme it's a good idea to do it a bit differently.

Also, it’s February. When I think of February, I think of winter, snowdrops, or maybe even something totally different. Roses feel more like late spring or summer to me. It just makes me wonder why we need another set of rose stamps right now. 6/10 Historical and Cultural Relevance - Roses do have a lot of history in the UK. There’s the Tudor rose and all the symbolism connected to England. Roses are also important in gardens and British culture generally. So I understand why they’re a traditional choice. I don't know much about these specific roses, so there could be some historical or cultural connections there.

But this set doesn’t really explain that history or connect to it in an obvious way. They’re just different types of roses. It feels more like creating a set of thematics for collectors rather than telling a story about why roses matter culturally. 1/10 Innovation and Creativity - The paintings are very well done, but they feel quite traditional and scientific instead of artistic. There’s nothing surprising, no modern twist and no creative theme tying them together beyond “here are some roses.”

It would have been more interesting if there had been a different angle — maybe roses in art, roses in British history, perhaps some stunning photography or even a mix of modern graphic design with botanical drawings. Instead, it feels very safe. Not bad, just safe. 4/10 Collectability - For people who love flowers or collect botanical stamps, this set will probably be nice to have. The detail and quality of the illustrations will help. But I’m not sure they’ll feel especially memorable in the long term because there have already been so many flower sets. If you’re not especially into roses, they might not feel like a “must-have” collection. 5/10 Personal Appeal - I don’t mind these and they are pretty. But they don’t really excite me either. They feel like “just OK.”

I wish there had been more of a reason behind them — something that made me think, “Oh wow!” or “That’s different.” Instead, they feel like just another thematic set without a strong sense of purpose.

So overall, I think it’s nice, just not very exciting. 4/10

Overall Score - 26/60