Queen Elizabeth made her first Instagram post, five years after her first tweet

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Today, as I visit the Science Museum I was interested to discover a letter from the Royal Archives, written in 1843 to my great-great-grandfather Prince Albert. Charles Babbage, credited as the world’s first computer pioneer, designed the “Difference Engine”, of which Prince Albert had the opportunity to see a prototype in July 1843. In the letter, Babbage told Queen Victoria and Prince Albert about his invention the “Analytical Engine” upon which the first computer programmes were created by Ada Lovelace, a daughter of Lord Byron. Today, I had the pleasure of learning about children’s computer coding initiatives and it seems fitting to me that I publish this Instagram post, at the Science Museum which has long championed technology, innovation and inspired the next generation of inventors. Elizabeth R. PHOTOS: Supplied by the Royal Archives © Royal Collection Trust / Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on

Back in 2014, Queen Elizabeth II wrote her first tweet. She signed it “Elizabeth R,” for Elizabeth Regina. No one really believed that Queen Liz understood the technology of social media, but it was a charming touch of modernity for the elderly monarch, and it was a popular move. So now, five years later, Liz is doing it for the ‘gram. Buckingham Palace already maintains an Instagram page which is obviously updated with photos and messages from the palace’s communications staff. Somehow, they organized the Queen’s first personalized Instagram (see above).

The personalized message was likely dictated by the Queen, don’t you think? I can’t imagine Elizabeth, with her severely bruised hand, sitting there on an iPhone, typing this out. That being said, Queen Elizabeth II does have an iPad, and she has been seen reading her speeches off it. So maybe she’s more technological than we give her credit for.

Also: I think it’s amazing that her first tweet and her first Instagram both came with trips to the Science Museum. The Queen has been a female STEM icon for a long-ass time.

Look at her bright orange coat and hat!! AND THAT BROOCH. #TangerineKween #CorgiLyfe #BitchBetterGetMyBrooch #HatMadness #ScienceMuseum #DoItForTheGram

The Queen visits the Science Museum

The Queen visits the Science Museum

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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27 Responses to “Queen Elizabeth made her first Instagram post, five years after her first tweet”

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  1. Tiffany says:

    I want that coat.

    Oh hell, the brooch too.

    • Megan says:

      I want the coat, the brooch, and the hat.

    • Mia says:

      same here, I want to shop in the Queen’s closet, without the corgis around. Someone who used to cook for The Queen and Diana is on twitter. I asked if he cooked for the corgis and are they as bad as everyone says. He answered YES and YES. LOL

  2. Lily says:

    After her first tweet, the palace released a pic of her literally tweeting on an iPad, so I’m assuming this one was written by somebody else, but it is her words.

  3. SK says:

    I’m living for the colours of her dress matched with that coat!

    This instagram post is very cute and very informative.

  4. Catherine says:

    Your hashtags are GLORIOUS 🧡

  5. samipup says:

    Now compare THE QUEEN to IQ45 re: his referring Tom Cook as “Tim Apple” I wonder if she wore orange on purpose…….

  6. Cidy says:

    Her whole look. Yes.

  7. anna says:

    she’s just the best. i can’t wait to show these pictures to my grandmother.

  8. Becks1 says:

    I love this!!

  9. Lynnie says:

    That was such a cute post 😊😊😊 wow my heart

  10. Babadook says:

    Not a fan of monarchies in general, and the British royal family in particular so I opened this kind of just to annoy myself. But with no begrudging whatsoever I will say THIS IS ADORABLE. I love that she signs her tweets!

  11. Who ARE these people? says:

    There are now adult and children’s books available to learn more about Ada Lovelace, plus an admired graphic novel.

  12. Marjorie says:

    Here’s the info on that brooch, it was a gift from Singapore for her diamond jubilee:

    http://queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gold-filigree-brooch.html?m=1

    I guess when one has been queen for 50 years one receives such presents. You go girl.

  13. PlayItAgain says:

    Love it! She’s fabulous. And I love her hat!! Oh, her whole outfit, really. So perfectly her!

  14. Vanessa says:

    I think the timing of this personal Insta post is interesting. Given the new social media guidelines, do you think this is a precursor to more personal posts from other senior royals? No, I don’t see Prince Charles Instagramming lol.) Up until now KP and TRF posts have definitely 99.999% been written in a very PR third-person voice vs. first-person like this one. Strategically it would make sense to have TQ be seen to do this first, if the plan is to roll out more first-person posts and maybe even someday individual accounts like some of the European and Middle Eastern royals and the non-heirs (Eug and Bea) have, for the Cambridges and… maybe even the Sussexes!!!

    • chai35 says:

      I could totally see Charles instagramming. Are you kidding me? He loves fashion! He could do #ootd. He loves gardens too, right? He could be an influencer in no time.

      • Vanessa says:

        hahah yess totally! he could post garden inspo, his tie and pocketsquare combos, pictures of his bae, Duchy of Cornwall products… 🙂 i would certainly follow him!

      • Glor says:

        He’d would SO post a watercolour of a favourite agapanthus (a plant whose sense of humour he adores 😉) and regale is with its latest words of wisdom!
        God it’d be such bliss! 😊
        But you know Chazza and any radio-type thingie at all. How many times has Sir Alan Fitztightly rescued the ‘Heir of Sorrows’ from a dangerously electrified bath, during the long-running Private Eye soap opera ?! 💥

  15. Charfromdarock says:

    Those hashtags are hilarious #lol

  16. Garlictoast says:

    I was shocked to find out most of the older royals never even completed university! QEII had a governess-based education! Shocking!

  17. Ader says:

    Big up to Lord Byron! Love that cat. Homeboy is, like, the godfather of DGAF-ing.

    And of course a bow-down to his more square, but equally as awesome daughter Ada.

  18. A says:

    The combo of the bright orange coat, plus the bright blue floral dress underneath is really great. I don’t think anyone but the Queen could pull that off.

    I think that if you finagle with the accessibility settings on an iPad just right, you could absolutely have the Queen tweeting and ‘gramming away. I actually hope we see some more interesting stuff from the Royal Family Instagram. It has great potential to highlight royal family history, and connect it to the present endeavours they’re doing.

  19. oddly says:

    That must be one of her favourite ‘new’ brooches (as opposed to heirlooms) she wore it 7 times in 2017 and a couple of times last year.