Technology: The Queen on Facebook...No poking!

Her Royal Majesty, The Queen will be permanently gracing Facebook and using technology, when Buckingham Palace launched The British Monarchy page on 8 November 2010. It features the latest Royal news, photographs, videos and speeches from the Royal Family, along with several daily updates about the activities of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. Facebook is the world's most popular social networking site with more than 500 million users, has also created a special new application for the Queen's official page called 'Near Me', which will allow users to find out about Royal events and visits in their area, all searchable on a UK map. A Facebook spokesman, said: "We're delighted to welcome the British Monarchy to Facebook. People can now have a direct connection with the Royal Family through their page to see a unique glimpse into palace life." The Queen is said to have personally approved the plans for her new Facebook page.

However, users will not be able to 'poke' her Majesty or send her 'friend requests', though they will be able to use the Facebook 'likes' application, represented by a 'thumbs up' sign to register themselves as fans of the Queen. Facebook users who 'like' the page will receive updates about the Royal Family through their news feed. The public will also be able to post comments on the page and send the Royal Family messages by writing on the Queen's Facebook 'wall'. Breaking with tradition, the Court Circular, the record of the previous day's official Royal engagements produced by the Royal Household, will also be made available on Facebook for the first time.

The launch of a Facebook page is the latest move by the monarchy to embrace technology and a royal aide, said: "Facebook is probably the last bastion of social media the Royal Household had not yet engaged with and the Queen is keen to be fully signed up to the 21st century. All plans for the Facebook page have been sent to the top, and the Queen has very much taken the lead on this."

Earlier this year, the Queen launched a Flickr account, making available more than 600 photographs of the Royal Family at work and at play to the public; while in 2009 a Royal Twitter account was launched and in 2007 the Royal Channel went live on YouTube. The Queen also podcasted her first Christmas Day message in 2006, and launched a website for herself and other members of the Royal Family in 1997. At 84, the Queen, encouraged by her grandchildren, is said to be very enthusiastic about keeping up to date with technology. Her Majesty uses a mobile phone, has her own private email address and surfs the web. The Queen has always moved with the times and in 1953, marked her coronation by allowing television cameras into Westminster Abbey for the first time for a state occasion.

Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org