Royal Mail celebrates Star Wars with eight stamps

The Royal Mail is issuing a set of eight stamps ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the latest film in the franchise.

Both new and old characters feature in the stamps, all of which have been illustrated by British artists Malcolm Tween, who designed a similar stamp set issued in 2015.

Supreme Leader Snoke is a shadowy figure who leads the First Order

They feature droids and aliens which have appeared in the film series, including new and old characters, from Chewbacca and C-3PO to Maz Kanata and BB-8.

Certain design features on the four droid stamps are only visible under UV light, and the style of the "1st" value on the stamps replicates the film's font.

The Last Jedi - Episode VIII in the Star Wars universe - is the second in the current trilogy, coming after The Force Awakens. It opens in cinemas in December.

(SKYNEWS)