Based in a stable block, brains behind the card that made King chuckle
IT was the card that cheered up the King with its irreverent wit and charming illustration.
But the royal seal of approval came as a welcome surprise for its creators, a small Yorkshire firm called Pigment based in a converted stable block.
None of its 45 employees were prepared for the flurry of excitement after Buckingham Palace released a video of the monarch opening letters sent from well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis.
It showed His Majesty chuckling at their card, which features a dog wearing a veterinary collar saying
‘Provoked much royal mirth’
the cheeky words: ‘At least you don’t have to wear a cone!’
Royal aides said the image ‘provoked much royal mirth’.
The card’s designer, Pigment’s Lisa Stalker said: ‘i’m really delighted that His Majesty enjoyed it.
‘That card is meant to make people smile and it’s clearly succeeded.
‘I always get excited when i see my card designs in a shop, so you can imagine i never expected this royal approval.’
Pigment was founded 25 years ago and is based in a studio on a cobbled mews in Harrogate, north Yorkshire, 225 miles away from the gilded Belgian Suite at Buckingham Palace where the King opened the card. The hand-drawn design was inspired by the Disney film Up, which features a cartoon golden retriever called Dug who wears the ‘cone of shame’.
Martin Powderly, Pigment’s creative director, said the card was part of a collection sold by the British online firm Moonpig.
‘Sending greeting cards is such a wonderful tradition and it’s lovely that someone has personalised this for King charles.’