I’m home from college for the holidays and I perused my mother’s copy of Kelley’s The Royals. She alleges that Elizabeth II was conceived by artificial insemination; the Queen Mum’s great-uncle had a monster baby that was kept in a locked tower; and Di was a nymphomaniac with halitosis. She cites a reference that says that Edward and Wallis Simpson had a plan in which they would pretend to be kidnapped by the Germany and plead to England for compliance with Germany’s domination of Europe.
Very much of this is supported by anonymous quotations. Seeking other readers’ opinions, I looked the book up on Amazon.com and I learned that it is not for sale in the UK. Does this mean that the book is contraband and can be seized? Is it illegal to own this book in the UK? Does the English government prevent sale in the other countries of the UK?
I know little about America’s book-banning laws, and I know even less about those of England. Is there a special law that protects the royals from libel? The book isn’t obscene, exactly (and I think obscenity was the grounds on which Ulysses was banned for a time, even in the U.S.). I understand that many Britains have a special affinity for the royals, but how can one of the world’s leading governments ban a book that is neither obscene nor insurgent? She didn’t exactly pen an Anarchist’s Cookbook, just a really long gossip column. Do you Britdopers think that you should be allowed to purchase this book?
