Queen dons blinged-out 3D specs to view her yuletide speech

The Queen's Christmas day message will be broadcast in 3D for the first time this year, and Her Majesty has donned a pair of her own bespoke 3D specs to check out a preview. They're pretty natty too, being embossed with Swarovski crystals in the shape of a Q on each side.

So where do us humble subjects get a pair?

3D may be struggling to take off with consumers, but the Queen needed no persuading to embrace the technology. A palace spokesperson explained to the Guardian: "We wanted to do something a bit different and special in this jubilee year, so doing it for the first time in 3D seemed a good thing, technology-wise, to do. The Queen absolutely agreed straight away -- there was no need for convincing at all -- she was absolutely ready to embrace something new this year."

Good on you, m'am. Though I suppose once you've jumped out of a helicopter for the Olympics opening ceremony, your horizons will be broadened significantly.

The Palace spokesperson said Her Majesty had watched the 3D footage of her message, and thought it "absolutely lovely." 

It's not the first time Her Maj has shown off the personalised specs. She first wore them to a movie training centre in Toronto back in 2010. But this is the first time she's seen herself in 3D, I'll wager.

The Queen's yuletide message was filmed by Sky, and will be shown on the BBC and ITV, as well as Sky 3D and Sky News, at 3pm tomorrow. It'll also be broadcast on radio.

The Olympics and Paralympics are expected to feature heavily in the message. The Queen will mention the "splendid summer of sport", as well as paying tribute to the nation's athletes offering up all the "excitement and drama" for us couch potatoes. (That last bit is my phrasing.)

I think it's great the Head of State is so ready to embrace new technology. Will you be watching in 3D tomorrow? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Image credit: PA