Queen Of England,Her Majesty sets Twitter ablaze after referring to Game of Thrones in her Christmas message

The monarch referred to the hit TV show during her Christmas message

Fans were delighted and took to Twitter and other networking sites

One thought that the reference might have been the result of a bet

The Queen visited the Game of Thrones set in Belfast in June

She also met cast members, including Lena Headey and Kit Harrington 

When George V took to the air waves on Christmas Day 1932 to exhort listeners to aim for ‘prosperity without self-seeking’, little did he realise that he was starting a festive tradition that continues to this day.

But although normally uncontroversial, this year's Christmas message provoked an excitable response on Twitter - all because the Queen made reference to Game of Thrones.

The speech, which was themed around reconciliation, included a section on her visit to Belfast last June where she toured the Game of Thrones set.

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The Queen of Twitter! Her Majesty's Christmas speech set the internet ablaze thanks to a TV reference.

'The benefits of reconciliation were clear to see when I visited Belfast in June,' said the Queen, who is currently at her Norfolk home, Sandringham.

'While my tour of the set of Game Of Thrones may have gained most attention, my visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol will remain vividly in my mind.' 

Crumlin Road Gaol, which closed in 1996, was one of the prisons used to house IRA convicts during The Troubles but has now been turned into a museum.

The same day, the Queen visited the set of the HBO series where she inspected the fabled Iron Throne, before being introduced to cast members Lena Headey, who plays Queen Cersei, and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow).

Following the mention in the Queen's speech, Game of Thrones fans took to Twitter, with one, Sophie Corfan, exclaiming: 'Did the Queen seriously just name drop Game of Thrones!?

'I thought she'd have been more of an Orange is the New Black fan. #QueensSpeech'

Another, Caroline Carpenter, simply wrote: 'Love that #GameOfThrones got a shout out in the Queen's speech!' 

A Christmas tradition: The Queen's speech

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Popular: That reference was to Game of Thrones, the set for which she visited during a trip to Belfast

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Not sitting there: The Queen met cast members during the visit but refused to sit on the Iron Throne

Impressed: Twitter user Seth Abramovitch appeared to be impressed by the reference

Bet: Another user thought the mention might be the result of a bet with Prince Harry

Surprise! This Twitter user thought the Queen preferred Orange is the New Black instead

But not everyone thought that the mention was the Queen's idea. One Twitter user named Ty suggested that the mention could have been the result of a bet with Prince Harry.

'The Queen namedrops Games of Thrones,' he wrote. 'Bet that was a dare by Prince Harry or something. #QueensSpeech.'

While the reference to a popular TV show is a first for the Queen's Christmas broadcast, it isn't the first time that the monarch has set Twitter ablaze.

The same trip to Belfast produced the Queen's first selfie after she was approached by a cheeky teenager who darted out of the crowd to take the picture.

Schoolboy Jack Surgenor, 14, spotted the Queen as she toured St George's Market and dashed into her path to get his picture which he snapped as the monarch's security detail closed in.

In October, the Queen set the social networking site alight once more, after she sent her very first Tweet to launch an exhibition at the Science Museum.

It read: 'It is a pleasure to open the Information Age exhibition today at the @ScienceMuseum and I hope people will enjoy visiting. Elizabeth R.' 

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Cameo: The speech, which was themed around reconciliation, also featured Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness

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Quick snap: The Belfast trip also saw the Queen appear in her first selfie, taken by 14-year-old Jack Surgenor

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Modern monarch: The Queen, who spent Christmas at Sandringham, also sent her first Tweet this year

But her account, @BritishMonarchy, was bombarded with messages from Twitter users desperate to get her attention, while suspicions that the Tweet was the work of a flunky were also raised.

Controversy notwithstanding, the Queen has long embraced technology and was among the first to send an email.

The annual Christmas message is also no stranger to technological innovation, with the very first - made by George V - packed with references to the new technology that made it possible. 

Whatever the technology used, the theme of the Christmas broadcast - including this year's Game of Thrones reference - is always chosen by the Queen herself.

‘The establishment of the Christmas broadcast as an annual tradition creates a sense of continuity for many,’ explains a Buckingham Palace source.

‘Though each year's theme is chosen by the Queen and reflects her own interests, it is always motivated by compassion and concern for others.’

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Traditional: The Queen spent Christmas Day at Sandringham, where she was joined by most of the royals.

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Missing: Although the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended church, they had lunch at Anmer Hall

The Queen's message usually also contains references to current events, although everything is vetted to ensure that nothing breaches her stance of remaining politically neutral, here she speaks to the nation in 1970.

Her message also contains references to current events, although everything is vetted to ensure that nothing breaches her stance of remaining politically neutral.

But while the Queen rarely ventures into choppy waters, the same cannot be said for her predecessors.

King during the Second World War, George VI’s Christmas messages frequently strayed onto political turf, albeit only as part of the war effort.

Many offered reassurance. Indeed, the first of the War in 1939 was a case in point, although parts hinted at royal turmoil.

Speaking from Sandringham and dressed in the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, George said: ‘A new year is at hand.

‘We cannot tell what it will bring. If it brings peace, how thankful we shall all be. If it brings us continued struggle, we shall remain undaunted.’

Little did he know how prescient those words would prove to be. By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had consolidated its hold on the French coast and the Battle of Britain was underway.

The theme for the speech is chosen by the Queen herself, here she smiles at the camera in 1995 

Nevertheless, Britain – and the Empire – remained undaunted, with thousands of Australian, Canadian and New Zealanders – among others – volunteering to travel to the UK to join the fight.

So impressed was George by their efforts, he used his 1941 speech to talk of ‘our one big family’, adding: ‘[it is] in serving each other and in sacrificing for our common good that we are finding our true life.’

Although he made it onto the airwaves once again the following year, 1943 became one of the few in which a royal message failed to be transmitted.

But in 1944, George was back and again the following year, when he used his final Christmas message of the war to reiterate his 1941 message about the family ties that bind the UK and the members of the Commonwealth.

‘Wherever you are, serving in our wide, free Commonwealth of Nations,’ he said, ‘you will always feel at home.

‘Though severed by the long sea miles of distance, you are still in the family circle.’

Some focus on more personal matters, with the film accompanying the 1984 broadcast including footage of an infant Prince Harry as he made his public debut in his mother’s arms

It was a theme that would reappear again and again, and nowhere more so than in the message that was broadcast on Christmas Day 1951.

So ill that the recording of the message had to be completed in advance and in stages, George nevertheless took the opportunity to thank the ‘family’ that was Britain and the Commonwealth for its support.

‘From my peoples in these islands and in the British Commonwealth and Empire – as well as from many other countries – this support and sympathy has reached me and I thank you now from my heart...’

During the Christmas message of 1992 that the Queen admitted to having had an ‘annus horribilis’

It was to be his final message. Barely a month after the speech was recorded, George died at Sandringham aged just 57.

The throne – and the traditional Christmas message – passed on to the next generation, to Princess Elizabeth, now crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

With the single exception of Christmas 1969, every year since 1952 has seen a Christmas message from the Queen - always broadcast at 3pm to ensure it can be heard by Commonwealth citizens as well as Britons on the day itself.

Some years have proved more controversial than others. Others focused on current events both at home and abroad.

In 1968, for instance, the speech spoke of the assassination of Martin Luther-King and emphasised the theme of brotherhood.

1979’s speech focused on the depravities of the Cambodian Khymer Rouge regime and the plight of the refugees, as well as the assassination of Lord Mountbatten by the IRA.

Some focused on more personal matters, with the film accompanying the 1984 broadcast including footage of an infant Prince Harry as he made his public debut in his mother’s arms.

In 1992, the annus horribilis even affected the Queen’s Christmas broadcast, with a transcript of the script leaked to a tabloid newspaper in the run-up to broadcast.

1996 focused on a visit from Nelson Mandela, while 1997, another controversial year, made reference to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales who had died that August in a car accident.

In more recent years, the Queen has returned to her father’s favourite theme – the family of the Commonwealth – repeatedly.

Last year’s proved particularly poignant, reflecting on the changes to occur during her lengthy reign as well as a personal note, touching on the Christening of Prince George.

Regardless of the content, for the Queen, the speech is a duty – but one she welcomes.

‘For the Queen, the Broadcast is an opportunity to speak directly to the public,’ explains the Buckingham Palace source.

‘It is an opportunity to react to their concerns and to thank and reassure them. In this way, the Christmas Broadcast helps to reinforce the Queen's role as a focus for national unity.’

AN AFTERNOON MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN: WHY THE SPEECH IS ALWAYS READ AT 3PM

The timing of the Queen’s speech has its origins in the reign of George V and the very first Christmas broadcast in 1932.

Then in its infancy, radio made George’s inaugural message to the nation possible and it was transmitted through cables connected through the Post Office’s landlines to BBC headquarters, Broadcasting House.

From there, the message was transmitted live through the Home Service in the UK and the Empire Broadcasting Station, which with its six short-wave transmitter, could reach most of the countries required.

Among the countries to hear the message, which was broadcast live, were Australia, India, Canada, South Africa and Kenya.

But with the time difference to consider and no way to record and transmit the message at a later date, getting the timing right was imperative.

3pm was eventually chosen, allowing for broadcast at around 11pm in Australia, 10am in Canada and at 5pm in much of Africa.

In the event, the first Christmas broadcast began five minutes late. Luckily, the 20 million strong audience that tuned in were so impressed – as was George himself – it was decided to repeat the exercise the following year.

Via Dailymail.