Aspects of the Realm of Redonda
1. "Delusions of Grandeur"
The Royal Archives of the Realm, passed on to successive
Kings since the time of King Felipe, contain fascinating evidence of
various aspects of the Realm, as it has developed over the years. One
file in particular, labelled “Delusions of Grandeur”, deals with those
impostors who have, for various reasons, claimed to be “Kings” of Redonda.
Since the genuine Title of King has long been proved to
be legally valid, and has never been challenged, such “claims” are not
only totally false, but reveal curious aspects of the personalities
of the “claimants”.
One “claimasuchnt” is Max Leggett of Toronto. The poet
T.I.F. Armstrong, better known as John Gawsworth, succeeded M.P. Shiel
as King in 1947. Our archives reveal that Gawsworth lived for a few
months under the same roof as Leggett’s parents, in 1950. Max Leggett
is under the impression that his very recent “claim” to be “King” rests
on a verbal promise supposedly made by Gawsworth to Leggett’s parents
in 1950 (before Max was born), that the new child would become the next
King of Redonda (if it was a boy!). Mr Leggett, when challenged, rudely
declined to produce any documentary evidence to support his “claim”
– simply because he has none. Furthermore, his “Home Page” entry, laying
his “claim” before the world, bears a remarkable resemblance to the
first part of the entry on Redonda in the current “Caribbean Islands
Handbook”. This entry was supplied to the Editor, Sarah Cameron, by
the present King of Redonda, but has since been supplemented by inaccurate
detail from another impostor (see below). So thanks a lot, Max – who
is fooling whom? See for yourselves!
For Max Leggett. http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/5900/index.html
For Caribbean Islands Handbook: http://www.caribbeansupersite.com/
Another “claimant” is Mr Jon Wynne-Tyson of Sussex,
UK. His story begins in 1970, when he was appointed Joint Literary Executor
(with the now late Dr Fletcher of Reading University) by Gawsworth,
in his Will. Under pressure from Mr Arthur Reynolds Morse of Ohio, the
biographer of Shiel, he was persuaded to claim to be King of Redonda,
ten years after Gawsworth’s death, (and thirteen years after the Title
had been passed, quite legally, to John Roberts). Thus in 1980 the world
heard the poignant story of how Gawsworth asked him to be King, on his
“deathbed” in hospital. In 1984, Mr Wynne- Tyson, in writing to the
present King, admitted that the last time he saw Gawsworth (on the day
before his fatal operation) he had forgotten all about Redonda, and
“it was not even mentioned”. Yet Mr Wynne-Tyson not only continued to
claim to be Gawsworth’s successor, but insisted on alterations to the
entry in the Caribbean Islands Handbook (mentioned above) and has since
announced that he has passed his “Title” on to a mysterious “King X”,
who also becomes the new Literary Executor! Furthermore, he is apparently
responsible for a highly mischievous conversation with Mr Robert Williamson
last year in Antigua. As a result, Mr Williamson has bobbed up as the
impostor “King Robert the Bald”, and has had the gross impertinence
to set his “claim” on the Internet, thereby causing unnecessary annoyance
to the present true King of Redonda, his loyal Members in many parts
of the world, and to the Government of Antigua, as well as gratuitously
insulting the present King from a distance of three thousand miles.
Mon Dieu! Quelle situation! Do have a look!
Robert Williamson “Kingdom of Redonda official web site”:
www.thekingdomofredonda.com/
P.S. Bob can be insulted via his E-mail address: bob@candw.ag
The Redondan Foundation has always invited other claimants
to substantiate their position, but they invariably lack documentary
evidence to back up their “claims” to what is, in fact, a proven, valid
Title. Whilst we realise that “Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery”,
it is clear that the imitators also suffer from “Delusions of Grandeur”.
Professor Fogg’s statement on the validity of the Title, expressed in
his Open Letter of 1982 has never been challenged, and his open invitation
to genuine claimants to come forward has never been accepted.
