Palace releases 80 facts about the Queen's life

Did you know that The Queen was one of the first people in the world to send an email? Well believe it or not, it is correct. Queen Elizabeth II was one of the first people to send an email, shortly after the introduction of electronic mail. The mail was sent during a visit to an army base in 1976.

Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II sent a message of congratulations to Apollo 11 astronauts? Also, did you know that The Queen is the first member of the Royal Family to be awarded a gold disc from the recording industry?

To celebrate The Queen’s 80th birthday, Buckingham Palace has released 80 facts about her life, some of which include the ones mentioned above and others which can be found on the official web site of the Queen’s 80th birthday.

Some of the facts are quite impressive, for example, the Queen has sat for a total of 139 official portraits during her lifetime, which makes the Queen one of the most if not the most painted women in history.

It is not the first time Buckingham Palace has released facts about members of the Royal Family. For the Golden Jubilee the palace released 50 facts and figures about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Some facts about The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Prince William have been available on the children’s section of the official royal web site for quite some time.