Beyonce pregnant with twins: The best Twitter reactions

Beyonce has announced that she and husband Jay-Z are expecting twins – and the internet predictably went mad.

She revealed the happy news via a kitschy portrait shot showing the singer, in underwear and a lace veil, stroking her bump. Within hours, it had been "liked" by almost 7.5 million people, making it the most popular image ever uploaded to Instagram.

However, many fans suggested that, despite having millions of dollars and untold legions of stylists at her disposal, Beyonce's pregnancy announcement ended up looking decidedly less than top dollar.

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In fact, several found that the combination of lingerie and a veil against what looked like a high street photographer's studio backdrop was more reminiscent of the cringeworthy pictures preserved for the ages on the popular website Awkward Family Photos.

Here are some of the best Twitter reactions:

However, others welcomed the news as a welcome distraction from the political earthquakes that have dominated the headlines in recent months.

Others went further still, heralding the unborn twins as political saviours, offering a glimmer of hope to progressives struggling to cope through four years of President Donald Trump.

Finally, some just couldn't resist getting a little petty.