Queen Elizabeth II Mentions Game of Thrones in Christmas 2014 Speech, Internet Freaks Out—Watch!

The 88-year-old British monarch and grandmother of Prince William and Prince Harry had mentioned the HBO show, which stars mostly U.K. actors and depicts bloody power struggles across the realm, while

By Corinne Heller Dec 25, 2014 8:07 PMTags

Merry Christmas, Westeros!

Queen Elizabeth II cited only one of the most popular shows in the world, Game of Thrones, in her annual Christmas Day speech on Thursday, causing the Internet to, naturally, freak out.

The 88-year-old British monarch and grandmother of Prince William and Prince Harry had mentioned the HBO show, which stars mostly U.K. actors and depicts bloody power struggles across the realm, while speaking about reconciliation.

"The benefits of reconciliation were clear to see when I visited Belfast in June," she said in her speech, as seen in a video released by the British Monarchy. "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. What was once a prison during the Troubles is now a place of hope and fresh purpose; a reminder of what is possible when people reach out to one another."

In June, the queen traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and visited one of the Game of Thrones sets. She met several members of the cast, including Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and also got to see the Iron Throne in person (she didn't seem that impressed). Williams told E! News earlier this year that meeting the queen was an experience she will remember for the rest of her life.

Also during her trip, the queen toured the 19th century prison Crumlin Road Gaol with former Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander Martin McGuinness, deputy prime minister of Northern Ireland. He spent time in prison in the '70s and was once dubbed "Britain's No. 1 Terrorist." He was elected deputy first minister of the province in 2007, nine years after the signing of a 1998 peace deal to end some 30 years of violence between Protestants who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the U.K. and Catholics who want it to be united with all of Ireland, home to a Catholic majority.

Check out some of the best reactions on Twitter to the queen's mention of Game of Thrones during her Christmas speech.

In her speech, the queen also talked about a Christmas truce during World War I in 1914 and about this year's Scottish referendum, in which residents of the U.K. region voted whether or not to make Scotland an independent country. The majority of voters ultimately decided against it.

"Of course, reconciliation takes different forms. In Scotland, after the referendum, many felt great disappointment, while others felt great relief and bridging these differences will take time," the queen said in her speech.

"For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life," she said. "A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ's example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people, of whatever faith or none. Sometimes it seems that reconciliation stands little chance in the face of war and discord. But, as the Christmas truce a century ago reminds us, peace and goodwill have lasting power in the hearts of men and women."

Also on Thursday, the queen joined members of her Royal Family, including grandson Prince William and pregnant wife Kate Middleton, aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at an annual Christmas Day church service at her country estate.