The Principality of Sealand is to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of raising its colourful red, white and black flag for the first time. On the 2nd September 1967, the Bates family announced its independence to the world in front of a small group of supporters and the worlds press. Declaring the existence of the new state of Sealand in the southern North Sea . It was the time when South Africa’s Ian Smith declared UDI and was trying to break away from UK rule. Roy Bates declared himself Prince, and his wife Joan princess. It was not an accident that it was Joan’s birthday, Roy was a pirate but a very romantic one when it came to Joan.
Fifty years later there is to be a dinner party at the Boatyard restaurant Leigh on sea in Essex to celebrate those events. There will be a variety of interesting guests and Sealand supporters from around the world. The guests will include international lawyers, Hollywood film producers, pilots, princes, internet tycoons and pirate radio DJs from Roy’s pirate radio station ‘Radio Essex’.
Guests are coming from as far away as Argentina, the USA and China.
