On 8 November 2018, Guernsey Post issued a series of postage stamps to celebrate the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948.

After studying at Trinity College, he graduated from Cambridge University in 1970 and began a naval career in 1971, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and both great-grandfathers. He is currently an Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Prince Charles takes an active part in public life in the UK, is actively involved in charity work, is a member of various societies, including patron of about 350 structures. As part of his duties as a member of the royal family, Charles makes official visits to many countries around the world.

The six stamps feature portraits of Prince Charles at different periods in his life. The earliest photograph is from 1980, the latest from 2012. Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic service at Guernsey Post, said: “We are delighted to mark the Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday with stamps that reflect some of His Royal Highness’s many interests.”

The 63p stamp features a young Prince Charles playing polo. The photo was taken in Windsor on 18 May 1986, when the Prince was playing for the Maple Leaf team.

In general, all members of the British royal family are known for their love of horses and equestrian sports. Queen Elizabeth II herself is a wonderful equestrian, she breeds racehorses and supervises the preparation of her horses for racing. Her husband, Prince Philip, has been fond of polo all his life. In the 1940s, he actively participated in competitions, and later switched to driving, becoming not only a connoisseur of this elegant sport, but also an active participant in competitions.

Prince Charles is no exception to the rule. Like his father, he is a passionate fan of polo. Prince Charles is a true fan of this type of equestrian sport. Having started playing at the age of 15, he achieved a good professional level, surprising both his opponents and fans with his dexterity and unique tactics. Despite the fact that, according to the unspoken rules, members of both teams are obliged to take care of the safety of the heir to the throne, there were injuries. Polo caused a double arm fracture, a serious knee injury and a broken rib, but all this did not break the fighting spirit of the heir to the English throne: Prince Charles continued to actively play polo until he was 57.

Although the horse is depicted on only one stamp, two other stamps in this series can be indirectly related to the equestrian theme. Now you will find out why.

The 85 pence stamp was created using a photograph taken by Tim Graham on April 19, 1980 in Badminton, where Prince Charles was taking part in an eventing competition.

In 1949, the 10th Duke of Beaufort decided to hold an eventing tournament on the territory of his Badminton estate to give English athletes the opportunity to gain competitive experience and prepare for major international competitions. “The most important equestrian event in Britain,” was written on the first Badminton poster. It was true at the time, and it is still true today, 70 years later, Badminton is still the main eventing competition not only in Britain, but also in the whole world.

Badminton is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most difficult and prestigious triathlon tournaments. Victory in Badminton is valued on par with Olympic gold, and every year the names of the best athletes on the planet can be seen in the starting protocols of this tournament.

A photograph of Prince Charles taken in November 2012 at Flemington Racecourse during the Melbourne Cup was chosen for the 46 pence stamp.

In November 2012, the heir to the British throne, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla made a two-week tour of the Pacific region. As part of the tour, he visited Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. On the second day of the visit to Australia, November 6, 2012, the couple visited the famous Melbourne Cup races. Before the start of the competition, the prince talked to the spectators and jockeys, then Prince Charles and his wife watched the competition with interest. After the end of the race, the Duchess of Cornwall personally presented the cup to the owner of the horse Green Moon, which won the race under the saddle of Australian jockey Brad Preble.

Love for horses is apparently in the blood of members of the British royal family. Only this can explain the fact that almost all of them are connected to equestrian sports to one degree or another. The sons of Prince Charles followed in their father's footsteps: Princes William and Harry also actively play polo.