Queen Elizabeth II will broadcast her traditional Christmas Day message on YouTube as the monarchy unveils a specialty channel on the popular video-sharing Web site.
The Royal Channel, which launched yesterday, signals the enthusiasm of the 81-year-old Queen for using the new technology to reach a wider, more diverse audience. Last year her Christmas message was released as a podcast.
"She has always been aware of reaching more people and adapting the communication to suit," a royal spokesman said.
"This will make the Christmas message more accessible to younger people and those in other countries."
The festive Web posting is available at www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel. The Queen is to appear at around 1500 GMT tomorrow, but before then, viewers will be able to watch past Christmas messages as well as archive and contemporary footage of Britain's royal family. In her first Christmas broadcast 50 years ago, she waxed lyrical about the advent of television.
"I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she said. "That it is possible for you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us."
The black-and-white footage depicts the Queen sitting at a desk decorated with framed photographs. Other videos available on the Royal Channel include the Queen Mother's wedding, a dedication to the death of King George VI as well as a view into the Queen's garden parties.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Queen sometimes watches the Christmas message on television alone to monitor her own performance.
Her son Prince Andrew told an ITV television program, "Sometimes the Queen watches it and sometimes sits in another room thinking: 'Has it come across in the right way?' but it's always been a part of the family tradition."
Queen Elizabeth's message is followed closely by millions of Britons and others in Commonwealth countries worldwide on Christmas Day each year.
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