At first, he just wanted to be a pirate — a radio pirate, not a sailing one — but the UK government messed with him and he went full royalty.
It all started in the 1960s, when Maj. Roy Bates ran a radio station on a concrete platform in the North Sea. The station, unauthorized by the United Kingdom, was called Radio Essex, a little enterprise that played pop music at a time when the BBC didn't. He had a following, but the UK government was not amused. Radio Essex was occupying a platform that the Brits built to defend their coast during World War II and the Brits wanted him out.
After being kicked off the island in 1966, Bates learned of a similar construction, a steel and concrete platform, about seven miles off the coast and outside of the UK territorial waters.
Now his vision expanded. Bates declared his platform was a principality, his wife and daughter princesses, and his son a prince. The 13,000 square foot platform became the Principality of Sealand. The government was again not amused. They sent the military. Bates repelled the assault.
At less than one acre, Sealand today has seven rooms, its own flag, stamps, coins and national anthem. It generates its own electricity with turbines and solar panels. Fresh water comes from rain. Sealand has 106 official citizens.
Major Bates passed away in 2012 and his wife four years later. Today, their son, Prince Michael, promotes the island's American football teams (Sea Hawks and She Hawks) and looks to create a transparent and decentralized government.
The nation's website: sealandgov.org.
