The world’s smallest country is nothing more than a platform in the North Sea. Despite its small size, the Principality of Sealand boasts a national flag, currency, anthem, and an American-style football team.
Sealand, a micronation located about 6.5 miles off the coast of Suffolk in eastern England, has a fascinating history.
During World War II, the British government constructed several sea fortresses in the North Sea to defend its shores from potential invaders.
Over twenty years later, one of these abandoned structures caught the attention of former British Army Major Roy Bates. Engaged in a dispute with British authorities over a nearby naval fortress named Knock John, where he operated his own broadcast station, Radio Essex.
According to the Sealand government’s website, Bates’ radio station and others like it were affectionately known as “pirate” radio stations by the media and were popular among the British public for providing everything the BBC did not: popular music and entertaining hosts.
Years later, the British government questioned the legitimacy of Bates’ occupation of the fortress. After an unsuccessful legal battle, Knock John was ruled to be under British jurisdiction.
Upon being evicted from the fortress on Christmas Eve in 1966, Bates learned of another nearly identical structure outside of British jurisdiction. Roughs Tower, located approximately 7 nautical miles from the coast, exceeded the recognized 3-mile territorial waters.
Bates’ original intention was to revitalize his radio station, but instead, he and his family secured a Guinness World Record for the fortress. They named it Sealand, the “smallest area to claim nationhood status.”
On September 2, 1967, former Major Bates officially declared the establishment of the Principality of Sealand. He named his wife Joan as princess and bestowed royal titles upon his teenage son Michael and daughter Penelope.
However, the honeymoon period did not last long. The British government was alarmed by the potential problems a new country located just a few miles off its coast might bring, leading them to order military action to reclaim and demolish the troublesome fortress. According to official accounts, in the months following the declaration of independence, Michael Prince of Sealand “repelled no fewer than seven armed invasions attempts, utilizing firearms, incendiary devices, and homemade projectiles.”
Michael Prince is a British citizen and was charged with multiple offenses upon returning to British territory. However, ultimately, a UK court ruled that Sealand was not part of Britain, and he was acquitted.
Over the following years, Sealand introduced various symbols of sovereignty, including postage stamps and coins minted as Sealand dollars. By 1975, 106 individuals held Sealand citizenship, allowing them entry into this 13,993-square-foot nation. Bates dedicated himself to drafting the micronation’s constitution, national anthem, and flag.
Throughout the years, Sealand has faced many ups and downs but continues to exist to this day.
The less than 1-acre country comprises seven rooms within the tower below the waterline, a full kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, a gym, a multi-faith chapel, and a prison.
The platform generates power using a combination of wind turbines and solar panels, collecting fresh drinking water from rainfall.
This micronation boasts several national sports teams, including two American football teams – the men’s Sealand Sea Eagles and the women’s Sealand Mother Eagles. In the summer, it hosts a challenging open water charity swim from Sealand to England, while its mountaineering team has carried the Sealand flag to the summits of four of the world’s seven highest peaks, including Mount Everest. The small nation also fields teams competing in curling, ice hockey, and marathons under the Sealand flag.
Major Bates passed away on October 9, 2012, at the age of 91. His wife, Princess Joan of Sealand, passed away on March 10, 2016, at the age of 86. Their son, Mr. Michael Bates, is the current Prince of Sealand, residing in Suffolk, England.
In a statement upon his mother’s passing, their son remarked, “My parents will forever be remembered for challenging the establishment with a pirate radio station, declaring Sealand’s independence, and standing against the Royal Navy and other foreign governments.”