Queen Consort Camilla joins row over Roald Dahl ‘sensitivity changes’

The Queen Consort appears to criticise Roald Dahl edits, telling authors to remain ‘unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression.’

Camilla, Queen Consort has joined the row over the ‘sensitivity changes’ to Roald Dahl’s books. Picture: Getty Images.

The Queen Consort has appeared to criticise the “sensitivity changes” to Roald Dahl’s books calling on authors to “please remain true to your calling”.

In remarks that appear to directly refer to the recent controversy surrounding fresh editing during the reprinting of Dahl’s books by publishers Puffin, the Queen told a gathering of writers on Thursday: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

The assembled authors laughed and responded “hear, hear”, and Camilla added, “Enough said”. She then referred to John Steinbeck’s famous words when he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

“But let there be no squeaking like mice about your achievements, but only roaring like a pride of lions.”

Puffin has removed some of Dahl’s original text – so that characters are no longer “fat”, nor “ugly”. Miss Trunchbull's “great horsey face” in Matilda is now just her face. Critics have claimed the rewriting of Dahl’s works have removed the very magic that attracted young readers in the first place

Sentences like “she wore heavy make-up and had one of those unfortunate bulging figures where the flesh appears to be strapped in all around the body to prevent it from falling out” have been removed entirely.

Emma Thompson as Agatha Trunchbull in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Picture: Netflix.

“You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and stick-out teeth”, but a reference to “a double chin” is removed.

“Parents” are now “family”, and people turn “quite pale” and not “white” in hundreds of changes during a review of the books agreed to by the Roald Dahl Story Company, which is now owned by Netflix.

Camilla’s remarks were made at her London home, Clarence House, during an event to mark the second year of her online book club, previously called the Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room, now the Queen’s Reading Room.

In the Reading Room she regularly recommends books, ranging from classics to poetry, and in June she will hold a literary festival at Hampton Court Palace to help encourage a love of literature.

The Queen told some of Europe’s well known authors including William Boyd, Philippa Gregory, Charlie Mackesy, Simon Sebag-Montefiore, Victoria Hislop, Sebastian Faulks and Peter James to take the most enormous pride in their profession and in the part that they play in bringing joy, comfort, laughter, companionship and hope through writing.

She said: “You open our eyes to others’ experiences and remind us that we are not alone. Human beings have always needed the connection of literature – its wisdom as well as its sheer escapism. In today’s challenging climate, we need it more than ever. Since my childhood, I have known this to be true.”