Never one to shy away from the big screen when given the chance, the Queen is set to build upon her impressive performance at this year’s Olympics opening ceremony with yet another milestone, delivering her upcoming Christmas speech in the third dimension for the first time.
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| Sky films Queen’s Christmas message in 3D for broadcast on BBC HD |
The news was announced following filming at her Buckingham Palace residence, and is thought to be the first time any royal has used the display technology. It’s believed that Prince William had the chance to do so at his wedding to Kate Middleton last year, but declined the opportunity.
Viewers wishing to experience the Queen like never before will need access to a 3D-capable HDTV. The Christmas message, which was filmed by British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), will be made available to both the BBC and ITV, although probably only the former will broadcast the extra-dimensional clip on its BBC HD channel.
During her speech, it’s expected that the Queen will discuss her Diamond Jubilee, the London 2012 Olympics, and the positive impact that these events have had on the country. However, one item that she is unlikely to mention is the Duchess of Cambridge’s recently announced pregnancy.
The Queen is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of technology, having become the first monarch to record a live, televised speech back in 1957, a milestone that followed her first live radio broadcast in 1952. Of course, she wasn’t the first royal to be broadcast live outright – that honor fell to her grandfather George V, who began the Christmas speech tradition with a radio broadcast in 1932.
More recently, the monarch has received huge praise for her calm and collected on-screen performance during the Olympics opening ceremony alongside James Bond, AKA Daniel Craig. Aside from this, the Queen has already established her own YouTube channel, set up in 2007, and has been on Twitter since 2009.
