A poster used during Pride in London by the gay bar Manbar, featuring a topless photograph of Prince Harry, has gone viral, after having appeared on several international websites.

The poster, put up during Pride in London last week, was featured on TMZ and Perez Hilton, for the shirtless image of Prince Harry.

Manbar’s owner Chris Amos’ said: “As many gay Londoners already know, Manbar has paid tribute to our sexy masculine royal Prince Harry since we opened in November 2012. He is a role model for a generation – spirited, cheeky, handsome, liberal minded and fit! That makes him a role model for us as well as being a gay icon. I am not surprised how quickly the image by Mikesbliss of Prince Harry has spread online today. The scallywag Prince is truly a British national treasure and iconic in the way his mother Princess Di was.”

Manbar was recently taken over by Amos, who made changes to the bar including the creation of Soho’s only gay art gallery space, TV screens and projections and disco lights.

The poster was created by East London based artist Mikesbliss, who created the artwork displayed inside the bar.

Prince Harry was recently praised, as an account of him intervening in a homophobic attack on a gay solider came to light.

The account was published in gay soldier Lance Corporal James Wharton’s new book Out in the Army, in which he wrote that Prince Harry stopped the homophobic attack, during which soldiers from another regiment said they were going to “batter” him.

He previously said he might try relationships with men if he “changes his mind” about women, while on a night out with his girlfriend.

In November 2012 Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, wrote a letter supporting the Terrence Higgins Trust in its campaign against HIV.

Earlier in 2012 Harry came under fire for using the word “queer”, but was defended by Peter Tatchell, who pointed out that Harry has made a video diary in which he kisses and licks the face of another male soldier.