'Like' the Queen? Tell her on Facebook

"ONE has just returned from saying farewell to HMS Ark Royal. Not allowed to take the helicopter because of the cuts. Was even asked for one's ticket on the train."

The latest internet user to update her status on Facebook today will be a silver surfer who might describe herself as a "ribbon cutter" and dog and horse lover.

The Queen will this morning join millions who have signed up to the social networking website with the launch of a British Monarchy page.

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The page, which will also be available on the iphone, will feature photographs, videos and news, along with the court circular - the authoritative record of the previous day's official Royal engagements.

However, Elizabeth Windsor will not find herself with thousands of new "friends" on the site because only a new page and not a personal profile is being created.

Fans wishing to follow the monarchy can instead indicate they "like" the entry, and will be able to receive updates about new pictures and video content.

The page, a collaboration between Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and the Royal Collection, will also feature information about Royal events and ceremonies, searchable on a UK map.

The Queen is already one of Britain's most famous internet users and is said to e-mail her grandchildren.

However, the Duke of Edinburgh is thought to be the real fan of computers and cyberspace, using them regularly.

The monarchy has already launched an account on the Flickr photo sharing website this year, while it joined Twitter in 2009 and established a Royal channel on YouTube in 2007.

Prince William has been officially featured on social networking sites, with updates about his tour of New Zealand in January were posted on Facebook and Bebo by the New Zealand government.

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Facebook has become a global internet phenomena since it was started as a way to connect students by Harvard undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, which is the subject of the critically acclaimed film The Social Network.