Queen tweets
Queen Elizabeth II joins Twitter
01:14 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

Queen Elizabeth II posts her first tweet as she opens a new museum gallery

Her message is posted on the official British monarchy Twitter feed

A second tweet confirms that the "last tweet was sent personally by The Queen"

London CNN  — 

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II dipped a toe into 21st-century communications Friday when she posted her first tweet.

Signing herself Elizabeth R., for regina or queen, she welcomed visitors to a new Information Age gallery focused on the evolution of modern communications at the Science Museum in London.

The inaugural tweet was posted to the official British monarchy Twitter feed, which has more than 700,000 followers.

And in case anyone had any doubts that the Queen’s own hand was behind it, another tweet quickly followed vouching for its authenticity.

The 88-year-old monarch has spent more than 60 years on the throne, during which time she has taken other steps to embrace new technology.

In 1953, at her own request, she became the first British monarch to have her coronation broadcast live on television.

That act prompted a boom in TV sales, with an extra half a million sets sold in the weeks running up to the coronation, according to the British monarchy Twitter feed.

CNN’s Lucy Pawle contributed to this report.