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A street artist was stopped and searched by police as he drove a van decorated with a naked Prince Harry and scantily-clad Meghan Markle close to Buckingham Palace.

Passers-by stopped to ogle and take pictures as artist Pegasus paraded the eye-catching mural through London on Wednesday in celebration of the royal couple’s recent engagement.

The anonymous artist, who was born in the US and now lives in London, began preparing the stencil painting last Monday as speculation of the couple’s engagement reached fever pitch.

“I’m a huge fan of the royal family,” Pegasus told the Standard. “I actually really love and admire them.

“I know my work sometimes comes across a rude but it’s more of my twisted mind. I love to do tongue in cheek pieces.”

His latest piece, sprayed onto the back of a black van, shows a mock scene from the royal couple’s stag and hen nights alongside the word ‘party’ in bright pink lettering.

Ms Markle, 36, is pictured baring her midriff while wearing the costume made famous by Madonna in her 1984 hit Like A Virgin music video, with the words “Boy Toy” written above her crotch.

Meanwhile her fiancé Prince Harry, 33, is shown in the buff holding a can of spray paint and what appears to be a crown in front of his genitals.

Artist Pegasus, who keeps his identity hidden, is known for his spray paintings across London including Hillary Clinton as Wonder Woman and other stars such as Kim Kardashian, Cilla Black and Kate Middleton.

The moving art installation was driven through the streets of London and passed Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and busy Bond Street.

He said he was pulled over by police officers who noticed the mural and heard the sound of soup cans, which he had tied to the vehicle to attract extra attention.

“I think the van raised a few red flags,” Pegasus said.

“The police wanted to search inside the van so pulled us over. One asked, ‘what are you actually doing?’ I said I’m celebrating the announcement.

“They asked, ‘do you think it’s funny?’ and said don’t drive round this area.”

Last November, the street artist was quick off the mark with his first piece of street art of Meghan Markle, showing the Suits actress accompanied by two Queen’s Guards on a wall in Highbury and Islington alongside the caption “Harry’s girl”.

Pegasus is such a fan of the royals that he is signed up for Google alerts for news of the famous family and said he started planning today’s Harry and Ms Markle piece a year ago, shortly after the couple went public with their relationship.

“When I sat down designing this piece I was listening to Madonna and I had this theme in my head,” Pegasus said.

“I started to think of a hen party, I have seen lots of girls dress up as Madonna for hen parties and thought it would be fun.”

He said Harry “has been a good boy lately” but thought a stag party scene would be an opportunity to show the prince’s wild past.

Pegasus said the couple's engagement is “the thing we need to pick us up”.

“It’s been a tough year,” he said. “Something like this is the thing we have all been waiting for.”

Pegasus Street Art - In pictures 31 show all Pegasus Street Art - In pictures 1/31 Amy Winehouse @pegasusart 2/31 A Karl Lagerfeld Street Art tribute by Pegasus in London with assistance from Global Street Art @pegasusart 3/31 Meghan Markle @pegasusart 4/31 Donald Tump Statue of Liberty @pegasusart 5/31 Madonna @pegasusart 6/31 Tribute to George Michael @pegasusart 7/31 Kim Jong Un @pegasusart 8/31 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Getty Images 9/31 Aretha Franklin @pegasusart 10/31 Pegasus Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Moving Street Art Installation around London @pegasusart 11/31 Pegasus strikes with a powerful Donald Trump artwork @pegasusart 12/31 Theresa May 'Dressed to Kill' @pegasusart 13/31 Kate Moss @pegasusart 14/31 David Bowie @pegasusart 15/31 Amy Winehouse Jeremy Selwyn 16/31 Tribute to Carrie Fisher @pegasusart 17/31 Renowned graffiti artist Pegasusass Charlie Chaplin in new artwork for exhibition launching at landmark development, Two Fifty One 18/31 Theresa May and Donald Trump @pegasusart 19/31 Hillary Clinton @pegasusart 20/31 Depiction of a Syrian boy pulled from the rubble after airstrikes in Aleppo @pegasusart 21/31 Street artist Pegasus poses for photographers at an exhibition celebrating the life of musician Amy Winehouse at the Jewish Museum in Camden, Joel Ryan/Invision/AP 22/31 Tribute to George Michael @pegasusart 23/31 Amy Winehouse Jeremy Selwyn 24/31 Tribute to Carrie Fisher @pegasusart 25/31 Amy Winehouse @pegasusart 26/31 St Giles Hotel unveils works by London street artist Pegasus @pegasusart 27/31 St Giles Hotel unveils works by London street artist Pegasus Nigel Howard 28/31 Renowned graffiti artist Pegasusass Charlie Chaplin in new artwork for exhibition launching at landmark development, Two Fifty One 29/31 Theresa May 'Dressed to Kill' @pegasusart 30/31 A new street art mural of Madonna in Shoreditch @pegasusart 31/31 Stonewall trubute: Love always wins @pegasusart 1/31 Amy Winehouse @pegasusart 2/31 A Karl Lagerfeld Street Art tribute by Pegasus in London with assistance from Global Street Art @pegasusart 3/31 Meghan Markle @pegasusart 4/31 Donald Tump Statue of Liberty @pegasusart 5/31 Madonna @pegasusart 6/31 Tribute to George Michael @pegasusart 7/31 Kim Jong Un @pegasusart 8/31 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Getty Images 9/31 Aretha Franklin @pegasusart 10/31 Pegasus Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Moving Street Art Installation around London @pegasusart 11/31 Pegasus strikes with a powerful Donald Trump artwork @pegasusart 12/31 Theresa May 'Dressed to Kill' @pegasusart 13/31 Kate Moss @pegasusart 14/31 David Bowie @pegasusart 15/31 Amy Winehouse Jeremy Selwyn 16/31 Tribute to Carrie Fisher @pegasusart 17/31 Renowned graffiti artist Pegasusass Charlie Chaplin in new artwork for exhibition launching at landmark development, Two Fifty One 18/31 Theresa May and Donald Trump @pegasusart 19/31 Hillary Clinton @pegasusart 20/31 Depiction of a Syrian boy pulled from the rubble after airstrikes in Aleppo @pegasusart 21/31 Street artist Pegasus poses for photographers at an exhibition celebrating the life of musician Amy Winehouse at the Jewish Museum in Camden, Joel Ryan/Invision/AP 22/31 Tribute to George Michael @pegasusart 23/31 Amy Winehouse Jeremy Selwyn 24/31 Tribute to Carrie Fisher @pegasusart 25/31 Amy Winehouse @pegasusart 26/31 St Giles Hotel unveils works by London street artist Pegasus @pegasusart 27/31 St Giles Hotel unveils works by London street artist Pegasus Nigel Howard 28/31 Renowned graffiti artist Pegasusass Charlie Chaplin in new artwork for exhibition launching at landmark development, Two Fifty One 29/31 Theresa May 'Dressed to Kill' @pegasusart 30/31 A new street art mural of Madonna in Shoreditch @pegasusart 31/31 Stonewall trubute: Love always wins @pegasusart

The couple announced on Monday they are to wed following a 16-month relationship after being introduced by a mutual friend.

The wedding will be held in May next year at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Speaking in their first interview since getting engaged, Harry said he asked his fiancée to marry him during a night in while they were roasting a chicken.

Harry designed the ring himself using a stone from Botswana, where the couple holidayed together after just a few dates, and two diamonds from his late mother Princess Diana’s personal collection.

The pair will visit Nottingham on Friday for their first official royal engagement together.