Queen portrait added to Nuneaton England heroes mural

News imageBBC The finished mural of the QueenBBC
Mural designer James Bennett said it would become "a British icon wall"

A portrait of the Queen has joined England football heroes Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling on a giant mural in Nuneaton.

The artwork was created outside Kate and Paul Williams' home last year before England's appearance in the Euro 2020 final.

Artist Andrew Mills, known as Graffiti by Title, added the Queen to the existing mural on Friday.

James Bennett, who designed it, said it would become "a British icon wall".

The Williams family first wanted an England mural when the nation was gripped by England's performance at Euro 2020.

News imageJames Bennett Harry Kane, Gareth Southgate and Raheem SterlingJames Bennett
The Queen has joined England football heroes Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling

It went on to become a popular tourist attraction and raised more than £10,000 for a local defibrillator appeal.

Mr Bennett described the opportunity to pay tribute to the late monarch as "an honour and a privilege".

News imageAndy Mills next to the mural
Mills added the Queen to the mural on Friday

For the art teacher, it is an extra special addition as he has just learned his mother, who he described as a huge Royalist, has terminal cancer.

He told BBC CWR: "It is a dedication to [the Queen] and my gran. I want to do as much as I can to honour and help.

"We're hoping in years to come it will be one of the most prominent pieces of street art in the country."

News imageHM Queen Elizabeth II 640x55
News imageHM Queen Elizabeth II black line