Queen's Christmas message in 3D this year

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LONDON, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The annual televised Christmas message of Queen Elizabeth II will be offered in 3D this year, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.

"We wanted to do something a bit different and special in this jubilee year [marking the queen's 60th anniversary on the British throne], so doing it [the address] in 3D seemed like a good thing, technology-wise, to do," the spokeswoman said.

The queen's first Christmas speech was broadcast on radio in 1952 and has been televised since 1957.

The spokesman said the queen watched the 3D footage of the address, videotaped in advance of the Christmas Day afternoon broadcast, and declared it "absolutely lovely."

She watched it wearing special 3D glasses adorned with Swarovski glass crystals forming the letter "Q" on each side, The Guardian reported Monday.