Queen and Country commemorates the British soldiers who were killed during the then-ongoing war in Iraq. The project takes the form of a series of postage stamp sheets: each stamp features a photographic portrait of a man or woman who lost their life in the conflict along with the familiar profile of Her Majesty the Queen, the sovereign in whose name they went to fight.

Both a tribute to the fallen and a reflection upon the validity of war, the structure of power and notions of national identity, Steve McQueen’s piece is a collaboration with 98 families of the deceased, to whom the artist acknowledges a huge debt of gratitude. Each family chose the photograph of their lost child, spouse or partner that is reproduced on the stamp. Premiered as an MIF trailblazer and then part of MIF07, Queen and Country is dedicated to all victims of the Iraq war, including an estimated 600,000 Iraqi men, women and children.

Commissioned by Manchester International Festival and the Imperial War Museum. Produced by Manchester International Festival.