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Death of Prince Roy

Joined
2/7/08
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3,261
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I've been following the story of Sealand for several years. The death of Prince Roy some days back came as a bit of a shock and one's thoughts, naturally, must be with the royal family in this time of grief. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the American media has given this some coverage.

In 1978, a group of would-be German investors lured Bates and his wife to Vienna, then seized Sealand in their absence. The monarch and his supporters swooped back in on an old war buddy's helicopter and captured the hijackers. They kept one as a prisoner, forcing him to make Sealanders' coffee and clean the loos for nearly two months until Bates finally kicked him out.
 
And some Dutchmen as well.

The German they kept as a "prisoner" was the "prime minister" of Sealand previously, who then staged the ill-fated "coup." Prince Roy arrived on a helicopter with a revolver and he let off a few shots in the air when he landed. In the annals of Sealand's history, this event is known as the "Civil War." When the German government tried to negotiate the release of the German with the British government, the Brits told them to negotiate directly with Sealand, which the Germans did. This constitutes -- according to Sealand's "government" -- de facto recognition of Sealand.

I've long thought of buying a title ("Lord of Sealand") as it can be purchased online and paid for via Paypal. It's an economical way of becoming a member of the aristocracy. A Sealand passport would be a handy (third) passport for me, but the problem is no-one recognises it.
 
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