Sealand: The extraordinary tale of a micronation off the Suffolk coast where you can become a duke or duchess – Cambridgeshire Live

With the UK opening up but much of the world still off-limits, it would be fair to say that a Great British coastal exploration is underway.

Looking closer to home has its silver linings, as we get to know some wild and wonderful parts of the country, and discover new places that we might have jetted over before.

How many of you, for instance, knew about Sealand - a micronation six miles off the Suffolk coast?

Read more: NHS Test and Trace: Is the app fit for purpose? Take our 'pingdemic' survey

At just 550 square metres, it might not be open to casual tourists at the best of times, but the Principality of Sealand has a fascinating story.

Prince Michael of Sealand is hugely proud of his familys history, he told CambridgeshireLive from his holiday apartment in Spain earlier this month.

The sovereign principality was declared by Michaels father Major Roy Bates in 1967, whose rebellious nautical streak began a few years earlier in pirate radio.

His radio station was situated on an abandoned naval fort called Knock John and he broadcast pop music which was seldom heard on the BBC, Michael said.

But with the government clamping down on rogue stations, Roy was forced further offshore to another derelict sea fort, Roughs Tower, which was outside the three-mile limit to which the UK jurisdiction extended.

Here he set his ambitions a little higher and declared independence on the basis that the fortress island in international waters was nobodys land.

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From the sea, freedom is Sealands motto. After seeing off a Royal Navy offensive - with shots fired by Roy - and subsequent legal challenge, the Principality is still going strong 54 years later.

In 1968 an Essex court ruled that Sealand was outside UK jurisdiction, with the judge describing it as a swashbuckling incident perhaps more akin to the time of Sir Francis Drake.

Weve never actually asked for recognition but it would be a nice thing, said Michael, pointing to the fact that the US did not formally recognise the Peoples Republic of China for 30 years.

If you're enchanted by Sealand, you can join its nobility; becoming a Lord or Lady of Sealand will set you back just 30, or 500 if youve got your sights on a duchess or dukedom.

The peerage system is what finances Sealand, Prince Michael said, as being off shore is an expensive environment.

Its a hostile one too, with weather conditions requiring constant repairs and engineer work.

Its always a challenge, but a challenge we take up, said Michael, who has three children and six grandchildren to carry on the adventure.

"The fortress itself is quite high up from the water, so I dont see us being flooded out anytime soon," he added regarding the threat of climate change, "not before Felixstowe gets flooded out anyhow.

The life semiaquatic has changed since the pandemic struck. Though it is one of the very few nations to report no Covid cases, Michael Bates and his family have stuck more to the mainland, with visitors scarce.

We really don't need the unpleasantness of getting Covid there so theres not really been an awful lot going on actually on Sealand itself, he said.

An update on Sealands website in February gave an insight into how the micronation has operated during the last 18 months.

Being a small island nation with strict immigration control has truly benefited the people of Sealand during this period, as once out of a mandatory 10 day quarantine following arrival, Sealanders are free to go about their daily activities unencumbered, and in many ways have enjoyed a greater quality of life than many neighbouring countries throughout the pandemic, it said.

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As for stocking up on essentials: Supplies are shipped to Sealand by boat. Once hoisted onto the fortress, supplies are quarantined outside in the elements for a minimum of 72 hours to naturally disinfect.

Following this, all supplies are cleaned using disinfectant wipes, before entering any inside space, ready for consumption.

As part of our standard procedure, we hold a large supply of stores in case of an event such as a severe storm preventing access to supply channels.

You can find out more about Sealand's incredible history over on Sealand.gov, with a One Show video presented by broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle.

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Sealand: The extraordinary tale of a micronation off the Suffolk coast where you can become a duke or duchess - Cambridgeshire Live