fantasy novels, claimed that in the year of his birth, 1865, his father Matthew Dowdy Shiell, from Montserrat, decided to celebrate his first male child by arranging for the boy to be crowned King of Redonda at the age of 15, in a ceremony purportedly carried out on the small island by a bishop. Shiel first mentioned the idea of the "Kingdom of Redonda" in a promotional leaflet for his books. Since then, the title has been "passed down", and continues to the present day. For a period of time the "Royal" lineage of Redonda had a more or less solely literary theme, with the title being given to writers, such as John Gawsworth and Jon Wynne-Tyson. Wynne-Tyson (King Juan II), his successor the Spanish novelist Javier Marías (King Xavier), and rival contenders for the Redondan title, such as Gawsworth, William L. Gates and Bob Williamson, were featured in a BBC Radio 4 documentary, Redonda: The Island with Too Many Kings, which was broadcast in May 2007. See also Rodondo Island, in Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania, which was named for its resemblance to Redonda Notes References External links Antigua and Barbuda Museum Uninhabited islands of Antigua and Barbuda Stacks (geology) Dependencies of Antigua and Barbuda Former populated places in Antigua and Barbuda Populated places established in the 15th century 1967 establishments in Antigua and Barbuda States and territories established in 1967 Saint John Parish, Antigua and Barbuda