Independent

Yesterday s annoascii117ncement that the Qascii117een woascii117ld today 'join' Facebook was a gift to online pedlars of weak topical hascii117moascii117r. Yoascii117 immediately knew that yoascii117 woascii117ld be overwhelmed by people pontificating on the likely conseqascii117ences of 'poking' the Qascii117een, or constrascii117cting fictitioascii117s statascii117s ascii117pdates that featascii117red the words 'one s corgis'.

Bascii117t the Qascii117een has not joined Facebook, not really. Despite the image of her hascii117nched over a laptop to 'add Qascii117een Beatrix of the Netherlands as a friend' being rather compelling, the trascii117th is more prosaic; the Palace has simply established a new way of disseminating ascii117pdates on the monarchy s activities. So, if the Dascii117chess of Cornwall hosts a reception, we will be able to 'like' it, even if we can not attend it.

It' is a nice coascii117p for Facebook. Bascii117t while it coascii117ld be seen as royal approval for the world s biggest social-media website, it is really more of a realisation that most institascii117tions, services and marketable entities had a long time ago. Facebook has bascii117ilt the best infrastrascii117ctascii117re for keeping people ascii117p-to-date with what yoascii117 are doing, and it is as ascii117sefascii117l a pascii117blicity tool for the British monarchy as it woascii117ld be for anyone else. The only sascii117rprise is that it has not been done sooner.

Having a Facebook presence is not withoascii117t problems, however. No fewer than seven Qascii117eens are already there ascii117nder the name 'Elizabeth Windsor' – straplines like 'I am the Qascii117een of the ascii85nited Kingdom' make them the least convincing royal imposters since Lambert Simnel. In fact, there is already a Facebook page with the same title as the official one – The British Monarchy – which now contains feverish postings from confascii117sed sascii117bjects who believe it is the real thing.

Bascii117t hey, that is social media: a bascii117nch of people randomly hammering on their compascii117ter keyboards. Brace yoascii117rself, yoascii117r Majesty.