File under strange but true. It would appear that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has been presented with a specially commissioned gold-plated Nintendo Wii games console by THQ as part of a marketing campaign for some new game. The rather loose connection between British royalty and the game in question is that it is called 'Big Family Games' and you don't get much bigger than the British Royal Family.

THQ product manager Danielle Robinson says "The Royal Family is arguably the most important family in the country so we felt that they had to have a copy of the new game. But we thought that Her Majesty the Queen wouldn't want to play on any old console, so an extra-special gold one was commissioned. We hope that she and the rest of the Royal Family enjoy the game!"

The idea of the Queen playing any games console might seem a little far-fetched, but there have been stories circulating that suggest second in line to the throne Prince William has a Wii already. I understand that his girlfriend bought it as a gift and some newspapers over here reported that the Queen herself enjoyed a game of bowling once it was set up.

With the Wii being applauded as a miracle cure console perhaps it could do the impossible and repair the most dysfunctional family in Great Britain?