Sealand - The Tiny Pirate Island
The Strange Story of Sealand, The Quintessential Pirate State
Sealand is a country founded by a pirate on a tiny steel platform in the middle of the North Sea. Explore its humorous, but true, history and look into its future.
The Pirate Nation
There’s a country for sale off the coast of England. It was established by a pirate, had its prince kidnapped by a German usurper, and was even the stage for a miniature war - certainly not your typical island. It has only 27 citizens, an official area of just .004 km2, and it’s official motto is “E Mare Libertus,” which means “From the sea, Freedom”. Welcome to Sealand, an abandoned concrete and steel platform six miles off the coast of England.
The Founding of Sealand
This man-made micro-nation has been a thorn in England’s side since September 2nd, 1967, when a pirate radio operator named Roy Bates moved himself and his family out onto the former British sea fort and declared the island his own personal state. He had been looking for a place from which to broadcast his pirate radio station, as the BBC controlled all radio transmissions within England, and the structure in the middle of the sea seemed perfect for the job. After consulting with British lawyers who informed him that, legally, the fortress was terra nullius and therefore up for grabs, Roy decided to name his new state the Principality of Sealand. Roy bestowed himself with the title of Prince and made his wife, Joan, into the Princess. His fourteen-year old son, Michael, became Prince Regent of Sealand.
The sovereignty of Sealand was challenged almost immediately, as England sent a ship out to remove the Bates family from the island. Bates, a Major retired from the British army, used one of the old fort’s guns to fire a warning shot over the vessel. The ship beat a hasty retreat, but Bates was arrested the very next time he set foot on British land. He was tried but the court declared that Sealand was outside of England’s three-mile nautical jurisdiction, and hence no charges could be brought against him.
A Traitor on Board
Titles were soon awarded to those who had helped found and defend the new nation. Among these was Alexander G. Achenbach, a German national that had been named to the post of Prime Minister by Roy Bates himself. In 1978, a strange meeting request by a mysterious German businessman drew Prince Roy and Princess Joan from the island. While they waited patiently in England for the businessman, Achenbach and several Dutch men kidnapped Prince Regent Michael and held him against his will in one of Sealand’s rooms.
A Daring Rescue
Roy came to the rescue in true Hollywood style with the help of an expert pilot who’d performed helicopter stunts in several James Bond movies. Roy and a band of his men boarded Sealand, and after reaching the island’s steel deck, Roy fired a single shotgun shot as a warning. That one blast ended the war for Sealand, as the Dutch men surrendered and the Bates family retook their island home.
The Dutch men were released and sent back home, but Achenbach was held on the island. When Germany petitioned the British government for Achenbach’s release, Britain cited the 1968 court ruling, saying they had no control over what happened in Sealand. Eventually, after a visit from a German ambassador, Achenbach was released. He would again bother the Bates family in 1997, when he was found selling fake Sealand passports.
The Internet, More Pirates, and Hollywood
In 1999, the island accepted a deal with HavenCo, a data storage company. Because of Sealand’s unique geographic and political position, data kept on servers on the island is safe from outside search. In fact, in 2007, The Pirate Bay, a website that provides links to torrents that may include copyrighted movies and music, offered to buy Sealand from the Bates in order to protect themselves from litigation. Prince Regeant Michael, now in charge of Sealand’s government, declined the offer, wanting a bit more for his island home. It seems the pirate history of the island has come around full circle.
Sealand’s strange story hasn’t gone unnoticed by Hollywood. A new movie entitled “Sealand,” is due out in 2008, directed by Mike Newell, who has also directed “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “Love in the Time of Cholera,” among others. The film will follow the exploits of Roy Bates and his family in establishing their home amongst the waves.
Island for Sale
Despite the Principality’s short lifespan, Sealand has had an exciting history. The next few years could determine this tiny nation’s future. Prince Regent Michael has stated that the island is for sale for approximately €750,000,000, which is just over a billion U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. If you’ve got the money, you can’t beat the ocean view and with your closest neighbors being miles away, you can probably get away with any late night parties you want to throw. All in all, a billion dollars seems like a small price to pay for owning your very own country.
