North Korea’s ruling Kim family has long used stamps as a subtle but lucrative tool of statecraft — and in 1981, the regime found an unlikely opportunity in Britain’s royal wedding. 

Newly released British archives reveal how Pyongyang capitalized on the global frenzy surrounding the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, issuing commemorative stamps to earn hard currency while quietly weaving itself into the world’s royal memorabilia market. 

The stamps, adorned with images of the British couple and even the Concorde jet, marked an early chapter in a decades-long effort by the DPRK to monetize global pop culture for