Queen Elizabeth II Sends Her First Tweet

2 minute read

Britain’s monarch dabbled in social media on Friday by sending her very first tweet.

While opening the Information Age exhibit at London’s Science Museum, the Queen, referring to herself as Elizabeth R., tapped out her first tweet from the official Twitter account of Buckingham Palace.

A statement from the museum said director Ian Blatchford had invited Queen Elizabeth to mark the occasion on social media. “I mentioned earlier that Queen Victoria took a great interest in the invention of the telephone, and Your Majesty has followed in this tradition of embracing new technology,” he told her. “You made the first live Christmas broadcast in 1957 and an event relished by historians took place on [March 26, 1976], when you became the first monarch to send an email, during a visit to the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment. May I now invite you to join me so that you may send your first tweet.”

The tweet’s author was then verified by the @BritishMonarchy account with a follow-up tweet and a photo of the Queen sending the message.

PHOTOS: Can You Tell the Difference Between a Royal and a Dummy?

Prince Harry wax figure
Left: A Madame Tussauds wax figure of Prince Harry at Madame Tussauds New York City on Oct. 23, 2014 in New York City. RIght: Prince Harry visits The Royal Marines Tamar on Aug. 2, 2013 in Devonport, England.Cindy Ord—Getty Images for Madame Tussauds New York; Samir Hussein—WireImage/Getty Images
Duchess Catherine Kate Middleton wax figure
Left: A new wax figure of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at Madame Tussauds' wax museum in New York City on Oct. 23, 2014. Right: The Duchess wearing the one of a kind Alexander McQueen gown at the BAFTA Awards in Los Angeles on July 9, 2011.Jason Szenes—EPA; Matt Baron—AFP/Getty Images
Prince William wax figure
Left: A new wax figure of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at Madame Tussauds' wax museum in New York CIty on Oct. 23, 2014. Right: Prince William attends the Royal film performance of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' at Odeon Leicester Square on Dec. 5, 2013 in London.Jason Szenes—EPA; Max Mumby—Indigo/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II wax figure
Left: A new wax figure of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at Madame Tussauds' wax museum in New York CIty on Oct. 23, 2014. Right: Queen Elizabeth II's official Diamond Jubilee portrait, on which the figure was based.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images; John Swannell

Read next: See Kate Middleton’s Stunning Fashion Evolution

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com