The Queen of England passed away yesterday at the age of 96, leaving memorable milestones for the technology community.
The tech-savvy Queen Elizabeth’s death was announced yesterday, with Buckingham Palace saying: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
Her eldest son and heir, Charles, Prince of Wales, became the new King of the English people, as well as millions of others in the Commonwealth bloc.
Tributes from across the world started pouring in following the announcement of her death. Her technological adventures were also celebrated.
Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in 1926, Queen Elizabeth was more tech-savvy than many imagined, according to Wired. The publication says she defied stereotypes about women of her age, as she was an enthusiastic adherent of technology.
The publication says the Queen scored many “firsts” in the world of technology, as she modernised the English monarchy over the decades of her rule.
In 1997, she outpaced some of the most influential media organisations in the UK and the rest of the world when she first took the royal family online, launching the monarchy’s website, it adds.
A decade later, Queen Elizabeth inaugurated the English royal family’s YouTube channel, premiering with a throwback video of the first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957.
When the social media boom arrived, she posted her first tweet on Twitter in 2014.
At the time of the Queen’s demise, 4.8 million people follow the @RoyalFamily on the micro-blogging platform, while 2.4 million follow the @KensingtonRoyal account, and the @ClarenceHouse account has 1.1 million followers.
More recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was on Zoom and other online meeting platforms, shaping the UK’s strategy to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
“During World War II, she became the first-ever female royal to serve on active military duty,” wrote former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle in their eulogy.
“And through periods of prosperity – from the moon landing, to the fall of Berlin Wall, to the dawn of the digital age – she served as a beacon of hope and stability for the people of the United Kingdom and the world.”
US publication The Hill said: “During her time on the throne, the royal family utilised technology to stay engaged and grow their brand beyond Britain’s borders.”
It added: “From Prince Harry’s viral mic drop with his grandmother as part of a challenge, to the Obamas promoting the Invictus Games, to photos of the youngest royals that routinely melt the internet’s heart, social media has played a critical role in the monarchy’s ability to keep up with changing times.”
The Register said: “During her 70 years on the British throne, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw reshaping the monarchy from an austere, closed-off establishment into a more public-facing institution, both in person and via the use of technology.
“Her coronation in 1953 was the first of its kind to be televised, and she was an early adopter of the internet, although it's reported she didn't write her e-mails herself but dictated them.”
The Register added: “Britain was at the forefront of technological innovation in the early years of her reign and she had a keen interest in the way things were progressing.”
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