It all started with an email. I will never forget this email and what happened next. In May 2020, I received a message from Prince Michael of Sealand asking if we could speak.
This one message led us to a different world of history and geography. Self-proclaimed kings, land rights claims, historical inconsistencies, Britain in World War II, pirated radio stations, call interceptions, I was able to do different things at that time.
I was so thrilled by this email. I had never received an email from a prince before, and it was unlikely to happen in the future.
Sealand is a Chimukalam institution near the Suffolk coast of England. It is said to be the smallest country in the world.
In fact it was an anti-aircraft platform in World War II. It was built in 1942 and was named HM Fort Roughs at the time.
A fort equipped with cannons at sea
The fort was outside the borders of Britain. He was also armed. During the war, 300 Royal Navy soldiers were stationed here. In 1956, the navy completely removed the fort and the fort became desolate.
Until 1966, the fort was deserted. Then one day a retired Major from the British Army came here and founded a new country.
The fort is 12 km from the coast and can be seen by boat. It doesn't look special at all. A container-like building is constructed on two pillars.
Once there, the crane has to pull up. Then you can go upstairs. But the gusts of wind and the waves of the sea create fear in the mind.
I knew nothing about it. There are many stories associated with it. Helicopter raids, gangsters, attempts by European merchants to take control, many such incidents took place here.
Documents released by the British government refer to the fort as 'Cuba on the east coast of England'.
It was as if a screenwriter from Hollywood had written the screenplay. One family turned this outpost into a sparkling nation. It doesn't fit.
Yet in this lonely place a new dream was seen. No government has imposed on us and we have been declared independent. Tichun has an independent government here on the nose of Britain.
Talking to Prince Michael of Sealand on the phone, I realized that he had a treasure trove of savory stories.
He has published some of these things in his book 'Holding the Fort'. But he was willing to tell me stories that the world did not know about Sealand.
Cuba on the east coast
We met at their main house on the Essex coast. The prince said, "I was 14 years old. I went there for the first time to help my father when school was on summer vacation. I remember staying there for six weeks."
"Then I didn't think the winds on the island would last 50 years. It was a different life. Sometimes we had to wait for months to get something to eat if the boat came from the land of England. I kept staring at the horizon but seeing nothing beyond the sea." Nerves. "
Sealand's situation is a bit different. No country has recognized him. But the prince says, I have never asked anyone for approval.
Britain had illegally built the platform outside its territorial waters during the war. But then, in the heat of battle, no one had time to pay attention to it.
In fact, only then did the British have the opportunity to destroy it, but they did not even look into it. Sealand has stood there for decades.
The area of Sealand is only 0.004 sq. Km. Km. Seeing this shape changes our very concept of small countries. But then the question remains as to why people establish such small countries.
Jord Dunford, co-author of Micronation: The Lonely Planet's Guide to Home-Made Nations, attributes this to his dissatisfaction with the current government and his willingness to work his way up.
Sealand is a special case, Dunford says. Because it has been going on for a long time and it has always been a matter of law and order.
In America, such a family would be seen as a dissatisfied family. But in the 1960s Britain became more liberal. The authorities may have felt that there was no point in resolving the issue. Attempts were made to seize it once, but Sealand escaped.
Rules for recognition
The rules recognizing small countries were drafted in 1933 at the Montevideo Convention. It defined the rights and duties of such states.
It was signed by international leaders, including then-US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the same meeting, four criteria were set for the state.
Dunford says smaller countries are recognized only on the basis of these criteria. To be called a state (country) takes into account the population, geographical area, government and relations with other countries.
The fourth and final criterion brings small countries more jealousy because they are constantly begging other countries to recognize us. Sealand, however, does not. They consider themselves sovereign and have a right to it.
Every country has a story of origin and birth. Sealand's story begins in 1965. Michael's father, Paddy Roy Bates, had retired as a Major in the British Army. He then started fishing. He founded Radio Essex.
There was a fort called Knock John near HM Fort Roughs. Its use was also discontinued. Paddy had started a pirate radio station in that fort.
At that time, the popularity of illegal radio stations grew so much that the British government had to enact the Marine Broadcasting Crime Act in 1967. The sole purpose was to shut down such stations.
So seeing the opportunity, Bates took his station to Ruffs. The site was in international waters away from the British maritime border.
Radio station
Like Knock John, it was a deserted sea fort, and its condition was bad. They took over the station just before Christmas 1966. Nine months later,
on September 2, 1967, he declared Sealand. The same day was his wife John's birthday. After a few days, the whole family moved there.
In the 1970s, 50 people lived here. It was attended by family and friends of all the cleaners and cleaners. It became a symbol of the anti-government movement in Britain.
Sealand also had some problems. Nothing comes of it, says Michael. We started with candles. Then came the hurricane loop and the generator.
Sealand created its nationality. Government symbols created. Event written. They have their own flag. There is also a football team and the national anthem.
There is a picture of Princess John on the Sealand currency. So far, they have issued 500 passports. His motto is love of freedom.
Michael is continuing the Seychelles dynasty with his three children (James, Liam and Charlotte) and his second wife (Mei Shi, a retired major in the People's Rebellion Army of China).
Conflict with Britain
My father did not want to build his own country, says Michael. But he was upset to see that the British government was trying to shut down its radio station. We fought and won the British government. Sealand has so far been able to keep the independent intact.
This country has its own flag
The most controversial case concerning Sealand dates back to 1978. People from Germany and Holland had come to take possession of it. However, the Bates family stopped the gun and took them into custody.
The German ambassador and delegation arrived by helicopter from London to rescue them. After discussing with them, they approved us.
Freedom is not easy. There is a cost of repairing the sealant. The guards stay there. To offset this cost, Sealandans sell T-shirts, postage stamps, political titles at online stores. Lord, Lady. The titles Baron, Baroness can be purchased for. 29.99.
General customs and immigration laws do not apply here. One cannot go to Sealand without receiving an official invitation from the prince. They themselves go there only two to three times a year. No one lives there except the rest of the staff.
Dunland says, "Sealand's position has always been beta. But the current princes have handled it well. That's what I like about small countries. The way they show genuine nationalism is brilliant."
Nagani of citizenship
Sealand receives 100 emails a day seeking citizenship. People from Delhi to Tokyo are ready to swear allegiance to Sealand.
“Our whole thing makes people think that way,” says Michael. We do not live in a society where people are told what to do. Everyone wants to get rid of the government. The world needs motivators like us. There are very few such places in the world.
Sealand is still in place, and the sea has been quietly observing it for decades. Despite being close to Britain, space is far from Britain. How different and almost impossible does this seem?
