New Zealand Post has issued two stamps of Prince William and his fiancée Catherine Middleton.

One is a formal photo where they are standing side by side. He is wearing a jacket and tie. She has her hand on his sleeve. Her hand shows the engagement ring which once belonged to Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana. The ring has a blue sapphire in the centre and is surrounded by 14 diamonds.

The other stamp is more informal. Prince William has his arm around her. Her hand is on his shoulder. The engagement ring shows up well in this photo also. In this photo, Prince William is wearing a sweater and open neck shirt.

At the bottom of each stamp is written

ROYAL WEDDING,

29 April 2011 NEW ZEALAND

MMXI (Roman numerals for 2011)

Both stamps are $2.40. This is the cost of postage from New Zealand to the UK.

New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth. The royal family of Britain is also the royal family of New Zealand.

Questions

Do you think this marriage will make people in the Commonwealth countries more interested in royalty and less interested in becoming a republic?