Britain's Queen Elizabeth is using $11.75 crown decorations to decorate her Christmas tree in a bid to save money.

The monarch is said to be so concerned about the global credit crunch she is introducing measures to keep her festive costs down and has ordered an entire range of the cheap decorations which will also be stocked in her shop in the Queen's Gallery at her London residence Buckingham Palace.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth announced 14 new government bills specifically designed to help people cope with the credit crunch in her annual speech Wednesday.

The queen, who wore a crown studded with nearly 3,000 diamonds and an ermine robe as she spoke from a gold throne in the House of Lords, detailed the ways the government are planning to cope with the global economic crisis.

A photograph of Britain's Prince Charles aged nine listening to his mother, Queen Elizabeth, give her first Christmas TV broadcast has been made public for the first time.

The exclusive shot of Charles from Christmas Day 1957 - which sees him sitting in a chair wearing sound engineer earphones - was taken by the BBC's superintendent of lighting Harold Mayhew, nicknamed "Mr Grumps" by BBC staff, and have now been made public by Harold's son Eddie Harper-Mayhew.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth was treated to a private piano recital by outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday.

Condoleezza, who is a concert level pianist, played a piece by Brahms, and was joined by Louise Miliband - the wife of U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband - and three members of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has ordered the royal family to avoid flaunting their wealth in public during the current global financial crisis.

The monarch - renowned for her thrifty ways - has reportedly told senior royals, including Prince Charles and his sons Prince William and Harry to swap extravagant spending for public engagements, with the younger royals advised that to be seen in nightclubs would set a bad example.

Meeting Britain's Queen Elizabeth proved to be Joe Calzaghe's toughest challenge yet, the boxer revealed Wednesday.

The super-middleweight champion has confessed he was so nervous when he was introduced to the 82-year-old royal at London's Buckingham Palace he can't remember what happened.