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KA9LCF > NEWS 21.10.12 19:32l 67 Lines 2638 Bytes #999 (0) @ ALLIN
BID : 39117-KA9LCF
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARN: That Final Item
Path: IZ3LSV<IK6IHL<IK6ZDE<VE2PKT<XE1FH<J39BS<9Y4PJ<N9LYA<KA9LCF
Sent: 121019/0505Z 39117@KA9LCF.#NEIN.IN.USA.NOAM [170190]FBB7.01.35 alpha $:39
From: KA9LCF@KA9LCF.#NEIN.IN.USA.NOAM
To : NEWS@ALLIN
THAT FINAL ITEM: WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE PRINCIPALITY OF
SEALAND
And finally this week, do you remember Sealand? That's the
self-proclaimed principality that also once claimed to be a
DXCC entity. Well its still there but changes are in the
wind. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasik, K9BIK, takes a
look back into recent history:
--
Sealand is a former United Kingdom anti-aircraft tower
legally known as Roughs Tower. Its located in the North Sea
some 7 nautical miles off the shore of Suffolk, England. In
1967 the tower was occupied by a retired army major named
Paddy Roy Bates along with his family in 1967. On September
2nd of that year Major Bates declared the fort an
independent sovereign state from the UK and renamed it
Sealand. He went on to establish Sealand as a nation in
1975.
Sealand had its own constitution, flag, national anthem,
stamps, passports and currency. There were even a few
DXpeditions to Sealand. This included a operation by a group
of German DX'ersin 1982 using Sealand's self proclaimed and
unofficial callsign prefix of S-1-A. Later, in 2000 there
was the Dutch-lead 1SLA1 operation, but neither of these was
awarded DXCC status.
Now comes word that Major Bates passed away on October 9th,
in a senior care home Essex England at the age of 91. This,
after a long battle with Alzheimer's.
But the Sealand saga is far from over. His wife Joan is now
expected to take over the rule of the self proclaimed
nation. Also, with Sealand is managed by the Bates family as
if it were a recognised sovereign entity, and they are its
hereditary royal rulers. Bates son is known as "His Royal
Highness Prince Michael." He has also been referred to as
the "Prince Regent" by the Bates family since 1999. In this
role, he apparently serves as Sealand's acting "Head of
State" and also its "Head of Government". Also, at a micro
nations conference hosted by the University of Sunderland in
2004, Sealand was represented by Michael Bates' son James,
who was referred to as "Prince Royal James".
Butr whomever takes on the leadership of Sealand, one thing
is fairly certain. Mounting a DXpedition to Sealand in the
hope of establisghing it as a new DXCC entity, woyuld likely
be a very expensive waste of time.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasik, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
According a Wikipedia, the Sealand News says that a movie
about Sealand is currently in development and scheduled to
be released in 2013. More about this interesting location
is on-line at www.sealandgov.org and also at wikipedia.com.
(OPDX, Wikipedia)
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