Sealand

What Great Fun

The ongoing saga of P2P engineers Pirate Bay have led me to something I actually care about. Sealand.           SEALAND  In brief, the UK built four naval platforms at sea during WWII as a defense against Nazi invasion.  After the war three were dismantled, the fourth, '' Roughs Tower," was simply abandoned. This is where the intrigue begins. In contrast to the original plan to locate the tower in the sovereign territory of England, this base was situated at a distance of approximately 7 sea miles from the coast, which is more than double the then applicable 3 mile range of territorial waters; to put it briefly, this fortress was situated in the international waters of the North Sea. <snip> On 2 September 1967, former English major Paddy Roy Bates           Mt Liege. formally occupied the island and settled there with his family. After intensive discussions with skillful English lawyers, Roy Bates proclaimed the island his own state. Claiming jus gentium, he bestowed upon himself the title of Prince and the title of Princess to his wife and subsequently made the state the Principality of Sealand. After the Brit legal establishment sided with Prince Roy, Britain extended her sovereignty to 12 miles.  Prince Roy countered by extending his own territorial waters.  Finally the British courts finished the matter by siding completely with HRH Roy.  There was an invasion where some Dutchers employed by a German company captured Sealand,  and took Duke Michael hostage.  Prince Roy's forces recaptured Sealand and held the Dutchman as prisoners of war.  There's more, and you can read it here.  If someone will finance me, I'll turn this into a motion picture.  I have the script already written in my head, and it's just gangbusters.  Think Robin Hood meets Count Rupert. With the proceeds I'll buy a decommissioned aircraft carrier, anchor it 13 miles off the West Coast, and declare myself Prince Schlong.           AKA "Schlong the Terrible". Then I'll invite Barbara Boxer to my coronation, and cut her head off.  Yes, I will be a ruthless prince.