Harrogate illustrator's crying corgi image goes viral

The illustration of the corgi has so far gained more than 125,000 'likes' on Facebook

A portrait of a crying corgi created by a Yorkshire illustrator to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II has gone viral on social media.

Graeme Bandeira's image has received more than 125,000 "likes" on Facebook and has been shared over 13,000 times.

Mr Bandeira, based in Harrogate, said he was saddened by news of the Queen's death and it was his way of honouring "a remarkable woman".

Her Majesty owned more than 30 corgis during her lifetime.

Mr Bandeira, who works as an illustrator for the Northern Agenda, a daily online newsletter, said he had been working on a cartoon of new Prime Minister Liz Truss last Thursday when he first heard the Queen was unwell.

"I had the idea of doing a corgi, as I have a dog of my own and I got a vision in my head," he said.

• Corgis: How the Queen fell in love and started a phenomenon

Mr Bandeira said the acrylic ink image showed it was not just family and friends who suffered from grief, "but dogs too".

"I suppose the nature of my job is that images can go viral," he said.

"But this simplistic image of a corgi nestling on a royal cushion, if I'm honest I didn't think it would attract so much attention.

"But it's sending the message out there that we're all paying our respects in different ways. It's very sad."

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