Saddam Hussein is compared to Queen Elizabeth II in the song

The song, Great Britain, is written and performed by Scor-Zay-Zee, a DJ and rapper who has converted to Islam.

The song - which has been played on Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's show - accuses the Royal family of murdering Princess Diana in 1997.

"It is a protest song and has been selected entirely on the basis of musical merit," a spokeswoman said.

"The BBC should not be playing this song," Mediawatch UK director John Beyer had told The Sunday Telegraph.

The track also criticises Britain's relationship with the US, and also accuses British people of being "brainwashed".

'Not playlist'

"The queen lives in a house like Saddam Hussein. They're both rich so I guess they are one and the same," the song says at one point.

But the BBC has defended the song, saying it has not broken its producer guidelines.

"The track is not part of the R1 playlist but has been spot played on the Zane Lowe show on Radio 1 at 10pm," a spokeswoman told BBC News Online.

"The track has provoked strong opinions but no complaints and the lyrics represent the personal views of a particular artist, not those of the BBC."