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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations March 12-13, 2005:

Love Story

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries. 

Most of the stamps issued for royal weddings show near-perfect young men and women who look 
as if they came from a modeling agency.

Not this time. Next month, Britain -- almost reluctantly -- issues a pair of stamps for the 
wedding of Prince Charles and long-time love Camilla Parker Bowles .... both of whom are in 
their late 50s. I think it's fair to say that, even as youths, neither had to worry about 
being offered a modeling contract.

The stamps almost didn't happen: The Queen has to approve any British Commonwealth stamps 
depicting members of her family, and this was to be a low-key wedding. After all, it's just 
an acknowledgement of a relationship that's hardly been secret.

Royal Mail seems to be taking a cue this time from other countries' wedding stamps. Instead 
of comic-opera uniforms and formal gowns, Charles and Camilla look like REAL people in 
these stamps, laughing and smiling.

And who knows? First the stamps -- Maybe Mum will show up for the wedding after all.

And that's Stamp Collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 

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