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LONDON - A former World War II fort in the North Sea, which was settled 40 years ago and declared a state with its own royal family, is up for sale.
The Principality of Sealand, which began life as Roughs Tower in 1941, is a 550 sq m steel platform perched on two concrete towers 11km off the coast of Harwich in eastern England.
It is accessible only by helicopter and boat but according to its owners, who want offers of eight digits or over, boasts uninterrupted sea views, guarantees complete privacy and is a tax haven.
Former British Army major Paddy Roy Bates began occupying the island with his family in 1967. The Royal Navy attempted to evict him the following year but was unsuccessful.
A judge then ruled in his favour that Sealand was outside British Government control as it was beyond the three-mile limit of the country's waters.
- AFP
