Royal Mail have announced that an original illustration of Liverpool Cathedral will feature as the First Class stamp for its Christmas Special Stamps in 2024.
This year holds additional importance to the city as it marks the centenary of the consecration of Liverpool Cathedral.
An enlargement of the original artwork used for the stamp was commissioned and will go on display in the cathedral during the festive season. Royal Mail’s 2024 Christmas stamps feature some of the many spectacular cathedrals in the UK – the remaining four completing the set being: Edinburgh; Armagh; Bangor; and Westminster.
The stamps were illustrated by Penzance-based, British artist, Judy Joel, whose popular paintings have been sold worldwide over the last 50 years.
The Very Revd Dr Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool, said:
“Having always said we are a first-class cathedral we are honoured to be this year’s Christmas First Class stamp. This comes at the end of our centenary year of celebrations and is a magnificent way to mark what has been a tremendous year.
“Royal Mail has chosen a great mix of cathedrals to showcase whilst reflecting the importance that these beautiful places of worship have in so many people’s Christmas traditions.”
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said:
“We are delighted to mark the centenary of Liverpool Cathedral on our First Class Christmas stamp. Cathedrals are a hugely significant part of our cultural heritage and play an important role in local communities. They also offer space for peaceful reflection and a bit of an escape from the challenges of daily life, which can be especially important at Christmas.”
About Liverpool Cathedral
In 1880, the great port city of Liverpool on England’s northwest coast became a diocese, but it did not have a cathedral. In 1903, the 22-year-old Giles Gilbert Scott (grandson of George Gilbert Scott, the architect of St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh) won a competition to design one and spent his life working on the massive sandstone building overlooking the River Mersey. Consecrated a century ago, in 1924, the cathedral was not completed until 1978. The architectural styles range from the Gothic Revival in the Lady Chapel, consecrated in 1910, to a more pared- down, monumental design, best illustrated by the single central tower, visible for miles.
This is a people’s cathedral, funded by locals through the two world wars. It is the only cathedral in the UK with a war memorial chapel integral to the building design; the memorial was built after the First World War, in which 40,000 Liverpudlians died. In 1908, the Noble Women Window was commissioned, with panels depicting Queen Victoria and noteworthy local women.
Today, together with the nearby Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral runs programmes supporting emergency food aid and helping people get back to work, welcoming all regardless of their faith. At Christmas time, visitors were recently greeted by a large-scale light-and-sound artwork illuminating the darkness.