The Queen's Own YouTube Page

The Queen has opened her own channel on YouTube. The British monarch will use the site to broadcast her annual Christmas Day message, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on television this year.

Last year's message was, for the first time, available as a podcast. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said, "The Queen always keeps abreast with new ways of communicating with people. She has always been aware of reaching more people and adapting the communication to suit. This will make the Christmas message more accessible to younger people and those in other countries."

Ironically, this year's speech will include footage of the 1957 address in which the Queen spoke of television as a new means by which she could communicate. "That it is possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us," she said then.

The YouTube channel includes rare footage, such as the 1923 wedding of the Queen's parents, an unseen documentary about the royal family from the 1950s, and the full 1957 broadcast. (Source: iht.com)

It appears royal advisors are aware of the 'interactive nature' of sites like YouTube. They've opted to disable comments on the various videos, clearing the possibility of anti-monarchy 'flaming' on the channel's page.

The page for the 1957 broadcast currently links to videos including last year's speech backed by a Coolio song, and an alternative Christmas message by peace activist Brian Haw. (Source: youtube.com)

It's a skilled move by royal publicists; as well as being a genuinely useful way of expanding the Christmas Day broadcast's potential audience, the tie in with a fashionable Internet brand makes for great publicity.