Larry the Cat at 19: the Funniest Downing Street Memes and Viral Photos
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Larry's digital stardom rests on physical press scrums outside the Number 10 front door. When international delegations assemble and the world's media trains high-powered telephoto lenses on the doorstep, Larry invariably chooses that exact moment to stage a disruption.
During Donald Trump’s 2019 state visit, Larry walked into the motorcade enclosure and curled up underneath the US presidential Cadillac, known as "The Beast." Secret Service agents stood powerless as the 12-pound cat grounded an armored convoy because he refused to move from the shade of a bomb-proof wheel arch. Photographers captured the standoff from every angle, spawning millions of shares across Reddit and Instagram. In other instances, television crews covering high-stakes Brexit negotiations captured armed Metropolitan Police officers knocking on the front door simply because Larry was staring intently at the brass handle.
The greatest viral drama, however, erupted during the mid-2010s turf war with Palmerston, the black-and-white resident mouser at the Foreign Office. The two cats engaged in nocturnal skirmishes across Downing Street. Photographers regularly snapped them exchanging blows on the pavement, shedding fur collars, and glaring across police barriers. Larry vs Palmerston became a sustained metaphor in British print and digital media for ministerial factionalism, cabinet leaks, and diplomatic friction.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
