Editing Sue Townsend (section)

==Later life and career==
''[[The Queen and I (novel)|The Queen and I]]'' (1992) is a novel whose plot involves the [[British royal family|Royal Family]] rehoused in a council estate after a Republican revolution. Townsend had become a [[Republicanism in the United Kingdom|republican]] while a child. In an interview for ''The Independent'' published in September 1992 she related that after finding the idea of God a ridiculous idea, an argument in favour of the British monarchy also collapsed. "I was frightened that people believed in it all, the whole package, and I must be the only one with these feelings. It was a moment of revelation, but at the same time it would have been wicked ever to mention it." In addition, she was "being taught about infinity, which I found mind-boggling. It made me feel we were all tiny, tiny specks: and if I was, then they – the Royal Family – were, too."<ref name="Ind1992"/>

Like the first Mole book, ''The Queen and I'' was adapted for the stage with songs by [[Ian Dury]] and Mickey Gallagher. [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] writes that Townsend "was ahead of the game" in treating the royal family as a suitable subject for drama. He writes: "Far from seeming like a piece of republican propaganda, the play actually made the royals endearing."<ref name="Billington"/> A later book in a similar vein, ''[[Queen Camilla (novel)|Queen Camilla]]'' (2006), was less well received.<ref>Alex Clark [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/oct/29/fiction.features "The country's gone to the dogs"], ''The Observer'', 29 October 2006</ref><ref>Tom Payne [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3656788/Its-no-knockout.html "It's no knockout"], ''Sunday Telegraph'', 26 November 2006</ref>

On 25 February 2009, [[Leicester City Council]] announced that Townsend would be given the Honorary Freedom of Leicester (where she lived).<ref name="City honours three of its finest 'ambassadors'">{{cite news| title=City honours three of its finest 'ambassadors' |url=http://www.leicester.gov.uk/newssite/index01.asp?pgid=9104| publisher= Leicester City Council| date=25 February 2009| access-date=26 February 2009}}</ref> Townsend became a [[Royal Society of Literature|Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature]] (FRSL) in 1993.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140412203551/http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/14702/Susan-(Sue)-TOWNSEND "Susan (Sue) Townsend – Authorised Biography"], Debrett's</ref> Amongst her honours and awards, she received honorary doctorates from the [[University of Leicester]], from [[Loughborough University]] and [[De Montfort University]], Leicester.

In 1991 Townsend appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''. Her chosen book was ''[[Lucky Jim]]'' by [[Kingsley Amis]] and her luxury item was a [[swimming pool]] of [[Champagne (wine)|champagne]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093yl0|title=BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs, Sue Townsend|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=29 February 2020}}</ref>