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Her Majesty in cyberspace offers one's greatest hits

The Queen yesterday became the first monarch to start broadcasting films on her own YouTube web site. Sam Wollaston surveys the results

• Sam Wollaston
• The Guardian,
• Monday December 24 2007

 

 

"Heppy Christmas," says the Queen, on her new YouTube channel. Or OneTube, as I believe she calls it. "I very much hope this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she says.

Actually this, the most watched of the 18 videos on the Royal Channel, is old footage, the first televised Christmas message, broadcast in 1957. But she could be talking about her first foray into cyberspace. Anyway, welcome to the world wide web, Ma'am. Think of it as a bit like the Commonwealth in the sky.

Her son then elbows his way into the action. We get a Day in the Life of the Prince Of Wales. Then a second day. And yet another. Here he is flicking through some papers, on the phone, very, very busy, obviously.

We see him visiting a community centre, then Edgbaston Cricket Club, recalling his own experience of being bowled at by natives, somewhere in the colonies. "These characters, by God, they threw the ball at you!"

Then it's back to Highgrove for a reception. Yeah, yeah, OK, this is boring, and look at the viewing figures - no one's interested, they want your mum.

It's mostly old stuff - crowds showing their unrestrained jubilation at the coronation, the Queen Mother's wedding.

But here's a revealing video about the garden parties, in which we learn that sandwiches, an assortment of cakes, bridge rolls, and tea are served. And another about investitures, where the Queen says: "I think people need pats on backs sometimes; it's quite a dingy world otherwise."

A dingy world, your Majesty? Oh dear, is one feeling a little gloomy? I know it's early days for the channel, and congratulations for making the leap, Ma'am.

But I can't see anything that's going to be pinging around between friends: "Oh my god, have you seen this amazing thing on the Queen's YouTube channel, here's the link ..." You need to make it more fun, for the internet generation. Less stuffy guff from Palace press office, more jokes. Get Philip on there, going off about something that irritates him. And Harry killing something. And the dogs. That's what the Royal Channel needs. Corgis. Making love.

assortment - wybór

corgi – corgi (rasa psa)

dingy – obskurny, wyświechtany

elbow one’s way – torować sobie drogę

flick through – przerzucać kartki, przeglądać (książkę, pismo)

footage – odcinek filmu

foray – wypad, najazd

guff – bzdury, pierdoły

investiture – inwestytura, mianowanie

jubilation - świętowanie

pat - klepnięcie

ping – brzęczeć

stuffy – formalny, duszny, staroświecki

unrestrained – niepohamowany, nieposkromiony

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