Palace pictures of Pigment’s cone cartoon setting Charles chuckling hit front pages
King Charles has been having a right royal laugh amid his health worries courtesy of greeting card publisher Pigment.
For one of the Harrogate-based company’s humour cards has been featured in a new set of pictures and short video – which can be seen below – released this week by Buckingham Palace showing the missives the monarch received following his cancer diagnosis.
After the story last week of King Charles telling the Prime Minister how much he appreciates the many cards and letters and how the messages have reduced him to tears, Buckingham Palace showed he’s also been laughing.
The Pigment card has a dog with the caption: “At least you don’t have to wear a cone!” and was the work of the publisher’s designer Lisa Stalker, sold as a £9.99 large card through online retailer Moonpig, with the Daily Mail revealing that Preston mum Lisa Moffat was the sender.
“There’s a definite buzz in the office after seeing the press coverage over the weekend,” designer Lisa said. “Just after the pictures appeared on the news, loads of text messages came flooding in. I still get excited when I see my card designs in a shop, so you can imagine I never expected this.”
‘I’m so glad the king enjoyed it. That card is meant to make people smile and it’s clearly succeeded.”
The sender picked Moonpig’s biggest size and personalised it with King Charles at the top and a photo of herself, husband Alex and children Harry, 13, and 11-year-old Felicity inside, ordering it after receiving a thank you card from the monarch for the Christmas message she’d sent.
The mum told the Mail: “I thought he needed a boost and a laugh – he has a sense of humour, he’s quite a funny guy.”
It was one of over 7,000 cards and messages received at the palace and shown in the video released on the official royal social media channels, which explained His Majesty has been given a selection in his official daily red box of paperwork.
And the short video also had a message from the king thanking everyone who has taken the time to write, and adding: “Such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
With the picture of Charles having a giggle at the card on the front pages of newspapers including The Times as well as being featured on tv news programmes, the coverage has also earned Pigment its own news story in the Daily Mail, explaining the background to the company run from studios in a converted stables, with 45 employees.
Pigment’s creative director Martin Powderly said the team were “absolutely delighted” at cheering up His Royal Highness and added: “Seeing the King holding one of our cards on the front pages of the national newspapers was certainly unexpected.
“This is a lovely story which really epitomises all that’s special about our industry – it’s genuinely our mission to help spread a bit of happiness with thoughtful, gentle humour. As card writers and designers we see ourselves as moment catchers and this moment is a particularly memorable one!
“Pigment has a special buzz about it and stories like this bring us all even closer. Our phones were all pinging over the weekend, but we’re very conscious that at the centre of this story was a heartfelt message of support and good humour from the Moffat family sent to someone facing a challenge, albeit, he’s the King!
“We’re also very appreciative of the support we get from our friends at Moonpig. Over the years we’ve built great bonds with the team there.”
