Let's keep in mind that this is the publisher's choice. This wasn't bowing to "leftists", or a "cancelling campaign", or any sort of "woke mob", it was a publisher making the choice without the author even knowing and without any sort of social media visibility before the act happened.

This is capitalism trying to make its products what it thinks is the best fit for market, not the result of any sort of external language policing. Stepping slightly into conspiracy theory territory - I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this was an attempt to stir up controversy and get eyes back on the series by the publisher. It worked for Dahl's stuff.