Miirage Issland In the waters surrounding the coast of Suffolk is an iron structure standing tall shrouded in the frosted mists of the North Sea. The two towers of this floating fortress are bridged by a platform and was constructed as a naval point of defence providing a physical deterrence to the possibility of nautical invasion and was supplied with anti-aircraft capabilities during the Second World War. However, if you was to traverse the seafaring route to the site today, you would bear witness to the very same structure being lapped by the moving cerulean and notice a flag of red, white and black billowing in the salted wind. This is the micronation of Sealand. The original name of this construction was H.M Rough and was one of many erected along the sea. The final maintenance personnel of the seaborne forts abandoned them in 1956 for them to be consumed by the elements. Yet, no-one could have predicted the rise of ‘pirate radio’; wholly independent radio stations illegally operated by individuals and organisations without government restriction. The 1960s’ saw a proliferation of this practice, with the popularity driven principally by broadcasting the media that the British Broadcasting Corporation refused. These ‘radio pirates’ would often operate in abandoned buildings that had not seen a visitor for years, unused barns on windswept fields in the furthest reaches of the countryside, and eventually transmitting their rogue media on boats at sea. These sites were particularly attractive locations for radio broadcasting due to their immediate distance from anyone, especially the authorities, and had the capacity to store all necessary radio equipment. One of these pirates was former military officer, Patrick Roy Bates, who occupied the mentioned iron tower in the sea in 1968. Bates was previously convicted of operating an unauthorised radio station on the British mainland and, upon receiving legal advice, established Sealand as it stands today. This was possible through the principle of ‘jus gentium’, that land can legally come under a new occupant’s ownership after an extended period of abandonment by the original inhabitant. Regarding Sealand, formally H.M Rough, the British state had vacated the premises twelve years at this point, providing the legal strength behind Bate’s claim. The founding of this new micronation took place on the 2 nd of September 1968, with Bates gifting his wife, Joan, the title of ‘Princess of Sealand’ before crowning himself ‘Prince of Sealand’, founding their own marine principality. News of this freshly established territory was covered extensively in the media which caught the attention of the British government. Due to the advance communism and the strengthening grip of the Soviet Union during this period in history, the Palace of Westminster speculated that Sealand had the potential of becoming a grave security risk, with some going as far to label the micronation as a possible ‘new Cuba’ on the coast of England. The existence of this micronation was considered to possess an excessive risk and the British government drafted plans to see the demolition of all the abandoned naval towers, with the ultimate goal being the tearing down of Sealand. A ship hosting the Royal Navy arrived on the strait, accompanied by a helicopter carrying a bounty of explosives. As the days passed, the line the towers shorted one by one, tumbling into the sea after an enormous explosion. This path of destruction continued until Sealand was a lonesome structure in the water that now commanded the full attention of the offensive front. Charred flotsam littered the waters lapping Sealand’s towers as the demolition crew moved in. At this moment Sealand was being inhabited by Michael and Jane, son and daughter of Bates, who were the subject of a barrage of abuse and threats in an attempt to get them to voluntarily flee the structure, since the site could not legally brought down with people being on it. With the ship docking, Michael, in an act of bravery, fired a warning shot into the air with a rifle to send a clear signal of his authority over this nautical place. With that one act, the Royal Navy’s demolition operation collapsed in an instant, with both the ship and the helicopter performing an immediate retreat. Consequentially, Bates and his son were summoned before British courts on firearms charges, but they managed to escape the jaws of the prison system through a landmark ruling. The case against them was dismissed on the grounds of Sealand being outwith the United Kingdom’s territorial waters. This meant that English law did not apply on Sealand and that no crime was committed, due to a lack of a legal system on the seaborne settlement. This ruling provided the legal basis for the existence of Sealand as a legitimate micronation, with a legal basis having vigorous existential strength and possessing value akin to antiquarian gems. In the decades that followed, Bates designed and produced various features common to nation states like Sealand’s flag of red and black with a diagonal white dividing stripe and a heraldic crest, which is a shield coloured in the micronation’s flag with knight helm sitting upon it, flanked by two aquatic lions whose crowned manes fall onto scaled fishtails. Currency for Sealand was also minted; coins of copper, silver and gold emblazoned with the crest and the orca whale, as well as all-black passports titled ‘Sealand’ accompanied with the mentioned crest. Sealand has experienced a revival of interest in recent years and one can purchase a variety of themed merchandise from their official website. Items for sale include the expected, like t-shirts, flags, keyrings and mugs, but unique curiosities are also on offer. For a fee, you can become a Lord/Lady, Baron/Baroness, Duke/Duchess or receive a knighthood to give yourself the honorific of Sir/Dame. Other wares of interest include a Sealand identity card similar to those on the European continent, a copy of the Sealand constitution, stamps, and a framed declaration that you own a parcel of the land present on the sea fort. You can also purchase the book ‘Holding the Fort’ by Bates’ son Michael in which details the history of the floating micronation in a much more comprehensive than what is penned here. Prince Patrick sadly passed away in 2012, with Princess Joan joining her husband in eternity in 2016. Michael, the very same that defended the country all those years ago, has inherited the title of Prince of Sealand. I contacted the monarch and he was kind enough to compose the following words detailing the life of Fruitcake, the first cat of Sealand.
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