Yup. The Principality of Sealand, a former wartime fort seven miles off the coast of England, is up for sale. It doesn’t exactly sound like paradise. Calling it an “island” might be generous. It’s set on a steel platform rising out of the chilly North Sea. But if you’re looking to be king, it surely has it charms—particularly a wild history. It was claimed in 1967 by Paddy Roy Bates. The Royal Navy ordered him out, but he refused and even fired warning shots at a Navy ship to defend his autonomy. In 1968, a judge ruled that Sealand was beyond Britian’s territorial control, allowing Prince Roy to go about the business of nationhood, including issuing passports and developing currency and a flag.

Bates’s son, Prince Michael, 54, has been talking about the sale.

“We have owned the island for 40 years now and my father is 85,” he told the Times (UK). “Perhaps it is time for some rejuvenation. Astronomical figures have been mentioned but we will just see what comes forward.”

As we noted last year, Sealand is featured in Lonely Planet’s relatively new book, Micronations.

The book reports that Sealand suspended its visa program in 2002, but it noted this: “Should visits be permitted in the future, the best bet would be to charter a boat from the English port town of Felixstowe Ferry. Once you arrive, be prepared to be winched up to the landing platform.”

Related on World Hum:
* Inside the World’s ‘Micronations’
* ‘Micronations’: Interviews with the Authors
* Wanted: New Micronations
* For Sale: Private Island. Electricity Not Included. $350,000.

Photo of Sealand: liander37, via Flickr. (Creative Commons License.)