Queen celebrates 30 years since her first email

The Queen will be 80 years old on 21 April 2006

In preparation for the Queen's 80th birthday on 21 April, a new book has been issued detailing the achievements in her 54 years on the throne. 

The document reveals that the Queen sent her first email 30 years ago from a British army base, and sat for her first and only holographic portrait in 2003.

Any move to a more email-centric system might be welcomed by Her Majesty. She has sent more than 100,000 telegrams to centenarians, 280,000 telegrams to couples celebrating their diamond wedding anniversaries, and over three million pieces of ordinary correspondence.

The document also reveals the Queen's interest in space travel. She has held receptions for the first man in space, Major Yuri Gagarin, and the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.

A message from the Queen has been left on the moon for future generations. The message was microfilmed and left in a metal container on the moon's surface.