It started with a Tweet…
Our Website of the Week began life as a parody Twitter account in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Windsor and proved so popular that it spawned Gin O’ Clock. What is Gin O’ Clock?
At first glance it’s the commercial arm of @Queen_UK as it sells branded and amusing merchandise, including umbrellas, mugs, T-shirts, underwear(!) and baby clothing! But if you’ve followed the @Queen_UK Twitter account for any length of time, you’ll know there’s more to Gin O’ Clock than meets the eye.
In a nutshell, it’s funny. Speaking from Her Majesty’s point of view on politics, life in the Royal household and State visits and outings, Gin O’ Clock is witty, often cutting and a pleasure to read. Following the blog alongside the Twitter account is a constant source of amusement, especially for those with at least a passing interest in what the Royal family get up to and even for those who don’t care. In short, Royalists and Republicans alike will enjoy this satirical take on Elizabeth Windsor and life as a monarch.
As well as the shop and the blog, there’s a video section (currently only one video, however), a Gin page, with tips on what gin to serve when and which members of the Royal household prefer, a Books page which features the two books the Twitter account has spawned so far, available through Amazon, a gallery, some audio files and even a Gin O’ Clock app for iPhone and Android!
The latter is actually a cocktail app, containing some of her Majesty’s favorite recipes…genius.
To summarise, the man behind @Queen_UK has taken his near one million followers and created not only a website that should be in everyone’s bookmarks, but a commercial business – all of the back of satirising Her Majesty and her family. It is brilliant.
