Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy

An investigative poem by Heathcote Williams.
Narration and video by Alan Cox.

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A scurrilous narrative poem detailing the history and doings of the House of Windsor, by one of Britain’s leading poets.

Heathcote Williams’ book-length poems have covered a number of important topics, most notably Whale Nation, a powerful argument for a worldwide ban on whaling. Royal Babylon lays out in verse form what Williams calls ‘the criminal record of the British Monarchy.’ It is a short but powerful book, detailing the ways in which the Queen and her family have made headlines over the years by activities and connections which, time and again, have shown poor judgment, demeaning behavior, or a lack of compassion. From animal killing to sexual scandal, profligacy to remoteness from her subjects, the accusations pile up in a 500-verse tirade which has all Williams’ hallmarks of passion, satire and irony.

‘A phenomenal piece of work’
     –Jeremy Hardy

The poetic radical do-cu, is a really interesting genre and it deserves its own domain so that it is not marginalized
     – Mike Figgis

‘Morning heafcoat…very apt presentation…may the last king be strangled with the intestines of the last pope’
     –  Keith Allen