ROY BATES AND THE PRINCIPALITY OF SEALAND

October 21, 2012

When it comes to eccentricity, few can compete with Prince Roy of Sealand who died earlier this month aged 91.

Paddy Roy Bates was born in Ealing, England and started his career as an apprentice to his father's butcher stall in Smithfield's Market. Much of his early life, however, was spent in the army where he reached the rank of Major. The stories of his military escapades, which started when he was only 15, would have been dazzling enough. He volunteered to fight against Franco's forces in Spain, he fought at the battle of Monte Cassino (nearly losing his head in the process when grenade blew up in his face) and he was captured and escaped several times. On one occasion he would have been shot by firing squad, after having been recaptured by Greek fascists, had it not been for the intervention of a German officer.

His swashbuckling stories and charm secured his greatest victory: the hand of his sweetheart, Joan Collins, a beauty queen from Essex. If she imagined that life with her husband would be an adventure, he certainly did not let her down. A natural entrepreneur, he did not miss a business opportunity. In 1965 he established the first 24-hour pirate radio station from a sea platform 13km off the Suffolk coast and on Christmas Eve 1966 he moved to a similar one called Fort Roughs, which had been abandoned by the Royal Navy, some years earlier. That is when the real fun started...

Realising that British law was going to undermine his operations, because he and his British associates would be subject to restrictions because of their citizenship, despite Fort Roughs being outside any national territorial waters, he took the remarkable step of calling his platform Sealand and declaring it an independent Principality. Legally, there was nothing the British authorities could do and thus he became Prince Roy of Sealand and his wife became princess Joan.

Sealand Standard That was not the end of it, though, for the prince had to battle with a few assailants in order to protect his territory. On one occasion Radio Caroline tried to take over the platform, as a base for their own broadcasts, but he repulsed them with shots and volleys. On another occasion a disgruntled business partner tried to oust him, with the help of mercenaries, while he was away. Prince Roy launched an attack, freed his territory and kept his opponent's lawyer hostage, until reparations were made! He even managed to repulse the Royal Navy, although this landed him in a British court, which, however, was legally powerless to do anything against him.

In the meantime Prince Roy was making money by selling titles, issuing stamps, offering asylum and doing whatever else he could get away with. He is survived by his his wife and daughter, as well as his son, Michael, who has inherited his title.

It sounds like a bizarre story; and yet, in some ways, probably not that different from the beginnings of all royalty: the product of folly or genius, or more likely, a touch of both.