The song, which was originally released in 1977, was banned for a long time because it was considered an attack on the British royal family. Then it reached the second place on the singles list as the best. Many fans believed that it was intentionally kept off the list because it could offend. The BBC and several other radio stations refused to play the song and some department stores chose not to sell the record at all.
The band’s frontman John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) says in an interview that he is not against the queen or the royal family as people and that he is “very, very proud of the queen”, states NME.
In connection with the song being re-released, a commemorative coin will also be issued. The coin shows Queen Elizabeth with her lip pierced by a safety pin.