In 1999, The Royal Mail produced this controversial Freddie Mercury Millennium Stamp as part of a “Great Britons” issue.

The controversy stems from the fact that Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor appears in the background of the stamp. This is an unprecedented occurrence, since the only living people the Royal Mail is supposed to depict are members of the Royal Family. It must have slipped past the Queen as a spokesman for the Royal Mail said,

”Every stamp is approved by the queen, including this one.”

The Royal Mail admitted it was a rare breach of the rule, but called for “common sense to prevail” over the tiny portrait on millions of 19p stamps that were put on sale.

Here’s a photo we found from the same concert the stamp photo was taken at…