Paddy Roy Bates (born c. 1922) is a former British pirate radio broadcaster and founder of a self-proclaimed Principality of Sealand, styling himself H.R.H. Prince Roy, The Prince of Sealand. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The term pirate radio lacks a specific universal interpretation. ... For other meanings see Sealand (disambiguation). ...

Bates served in the British Army, rising to the rank of Major. He then became a successful fisherman before moving into pirate radio. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

In 1965 he evicted Radio City staff who had occupied Knock John Tower, a World War II British defence platform in the Thames estuary. From there he ran Radio Essex from 1965 to 1966. The station changed its name in October, 1966 to Britain's Better Music Station (BBMS), shortly before going off the air on Christmas Day of 1966. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Radio City was a British pirate radio station that broadcast from Shivering Sands Fort, one of the abandoned World War II Maunsell Sea Forts in the Thames Estuary. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... BBC Essex is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Essex. ...

After being convicted of violating British broadcasting law, Bates moved his operation to nearby Roughs Tower. Roughs Tower had earlier been claimed by Jack Moore and his daughter for Ronan O'Rahilly of Radio Caroline. On learning that Bates had set up there, O'Rahilly sent men to land on the tower, but their boat was driven off with petrol bombs and (according to O'Rahilly's men) gunfire. Ronan ORahilly is an Irish businessman in the music industry. ... Radio Caroline is a European radio station that originally commenced transmissions as an offshore radio station broadcasting from a ship anchored off the coast of South East England in international waters. ...

The radio station never began broadcasting from the new location, but Bates nonetheless decided to stay, and proclaimed Roughs Tower to be the Principality of Sealand in 1967. The Principality of Sealand is a micronation (a self-declared, unrecognised state-like entity) that claims as its territory Roughs Tower as well as territorial waters in a twelve nautical mile radius. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1968, Bates's son Michael fired on a British navy ship. In a subsequent case brought before a local court in Chelmsford, Essex, it was ruled that the offence had occurred outside of the jurisdiction of that court. This small court no longer exists. Other courts in Essex do claim jurisdiction but no other case was brought on this matter, Bates cites this case as evidence of de facto sovereignty. However, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Harold Wilson took note and decided to leave him alone. Later the UK incorporated the area of Rough Sands into UK territorial waters. In 1990-1991 the UK submitted evidence in a USA Administrative Court Case which ruled that no such independent "Principality of Sealand" has ever existed. This case was never challenged by the Bates family. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Chelmsford is a town in the county of Essex, in the United Kingdom. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... The Right Honourable James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the longest serving Labour Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. ...

In recent years, Bates came to an agreement with a start-up company called HavenCo to establish an offshore data haven. However Ryan Lackey, its founder later quit and claimed that Bates had lied to him by keeping the 1990-1991 court case from him and that as a result he had lost the money he had invested in the venture. He stated that his only legal recourse was sue Roy Bates in a British court of law, but because of his own involvement in the venture his chances of success were not good and as of this date no such case has been filed. ... A Data Haven is a place where data is supposed to be secure at all times. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Bates and his wife Joan no longer live on Sealand, having left the day-to-day operation to their son Michael.

External sources

• Samuel Pyeatt Menefee "Republics of the Reefs:" Nation-Building on the Continental Shelf and in the World's Oceans; [1], [2].
• http://www.cwgsy.net/private/offshorepirateradio/essex.html
• http://www.marine-broadcasters.com/seafort%20based%20radiostations.htm
• Transcript of the 1968 court decision
• http://freespace.virgin.net/line.design/forts/radio_essex.htm
• http://www.sixtiescity.com/Radio/PirateRadio.htm