The Queen Is Not Amused By Your Selfies

Her Majesty finds the constant sea of mobile phones she's greeted with at public events a bit 'strange', says the US ambassador...

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by Sophie Wilkinson |
Published on

If you’ve had the good fortune to meet the Queen and the canny thinking to get a selfie with her, then make sure you get prints (no, not prince) made, because it could be the last of the selfies to be taken with her. It’s not that she’s issued a royal decree to banish the world of the narcissistic arm-stretchy photos, but that she just isn’t into camera phones.

Matthew Barzun, the US ambassador, gave an interview to* Tatler* magazine, explaining that the prevalence of mobile phones pointed at the Queen’s face at public events gets to her. She confided in him during a ‘nice chat’ that she finds the phenomenon ‘strange’. He added: ‘She was essentially saying: “I miss eye contact.”’

The Queen’s relationship status with mobile phones is complicated. Though she’s had one since 2001 and learned how to text from Princes William and Harry, and she frequently ends up strolling into strangers’ selfies at big events – accidentally photobombing them were it not for the fact that they’d probably set up the selfie to have her in the background – she hasn’t always been a fan.

During one important government meeting, international development secretary Clare Short’s phone started ringing in her bag. After Clare fumbled about for it and turned it off, the Queen said, with wit drier than a hungover mouth in the sun: ‘Oh dear. I hope it wasn’t anyone important.’

The Telegraph reports that the Queen’s courtiers were annoyed when BBC staff pointed their cameraphones at Her Majesty during a tour of their buildings, too.

Mr Barzun also had this to tell the society magazine of his meeting with the Queen: ‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Riding to Buckingham Palace in an open carriage – I don’t think that will happen again.’

How does he know for sure? Did he take an iPad selfie when he got there? They’re the worst kind of selfies out there, we can all agree, right?

Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson

Picture: Getty

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.

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