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Sealand (self-proclaimed)

Presentation of Sealand

Some time ago I read about an oil platform in the North Sea, which has been occupied by a family. They then proclaimed the independent "Kingdom of Sealand". Father is the head of state, son is the foreign minister, mother is something else. They even have an "embassy" somewhere in Germany. Obviously they want to become a "taxpayer's paradise".

There was a picture of this platform, where you could see the state flag of Sealand. Unfortunately I can't remember exactly this flag. I believe, that it was black and red with a white star.

Carsten Linke 09-MAY-1996

I remember this one too. It was (is?) actually the Principality of Sealand (not Kingdom), set up in 1966 by Paddy Roy Bates. He occupied an abandoned 2 World War anti-aircraft platform. Independence was proclaimed 2 September 1967, and Mr. Bates took the title of Prince (Prince Roy). My source shows a coat of arms (as well as a number of coins and stamps). The shield is a bend sinister, or in ordinary language a stripe going from the observer's lower left to the observer's upper right. My source illustration is only in black and white, so I can't help on colours. However, the field is dark field and the bend is white bend. I have seen some news magazine reports with colour photographs (a long time ago) and IIRC, the field may have been red and the diagonal stripe white.

I found this information in a book by Erwin S Strauss: _ How to start your own country_, Port Townsend: Loompanics Unlimited, (2. ed.), 1984. This book also describes a host of other projects in the state making industry. My impression is that Sealand was one of the more successful. IIRC, Mr. Bates won a court case brought against him by the British government.

Jan Oskar Engene 10-MAY-1996