On 26 September 2018, the Isle of Man Post issued a series of stamps to mark the 70th anniversary of Prince Charles's birth.

The six stamps in the series feature portraits of Prince Charles painted at different periods in his life by renowned artists, all members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RSPP).

The 52p and £1.01 stamps feature portraits of Prince Charles by Richard Stone, the 83p stamp features a portrait by David Griffiths, the £1.25 and £1.75 stamps feature two works by June Mendoza, and the £2.45 stamp features a portrait by Michael Noake.

Maxine Cannon, CEO of Isle of Man Stamps and Coins, said it was a pleasure to work with such talented artists on this series. They created a truly impressive selection of portraits, which eventually became the basis for a series of stamps to celebrate the birthday of His Royal Highness Prince Charles.

The above-mentioned anniversary series would never have made it to this site if it had not been for the £1.75 stamp featuring a portrait of the young Prince of Wales by renowned Australian artist June Mendoza.

A keen eye for a horse enthusiast immediately caught the small image of a winged horse in the top left corner, partially hidden by the inscription and profile of the Queen. It took some time to solve another mystery posed by the Isle of Man Post and the portrait artist, but now I am ready to share the story with visitors to the site.

Pegasus is not a fantasy of the stamp designer, it is present in the painting itself, it is clearly visible in the reproduction. The portrait of the young Prince of Wales was painted for the British Parachute Regiment, of which Prince Charles is still the Colonel-in-Chief. This is the reason for the appearance of Pegasus on the canvas.

The emblem of the British Airborne Forces was the image of the ancient Greek hero Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus. This is the red-burgundy patch that soldiers of the British Parachute Regiment wore on their sleeves.

Established by Sir Winston Churchill in 1940, the Parachute Regiment took part in World War II, and after its end participated in more than 50 military campaigns and deservedly occupies a worthy place among the most prestigious military units in Britain.

The main distinguishing element of the paratroopers' uniform was a maroon beret with the cockade of the Parachute Regiment, on the shoulder the paratroopers wore a patch with Pegasus, and a little higher the "wings" of a paratrooper. The Pegasus on the emblem accompanied the regiment for almost 60 years, but in 1999, during the reorganization of the armed forces, the 5th Airborne Brigade became part of the 16th Airborne Assault Brigade, which had its own distinctive sign - an attacking eagle. The "battle" of the winged creatures lasted for 16 years and in 2015 it ended with the victory of Pegasus. Another army reorganization, among other things, led to the fact that the parachute regiment again acquired its original emblem with Bellerophon riding a winged Pegasus.

Source: www.iompost.com