Coat of Arms of the Principality of Sealand T-Shirt

The Principality of Sealand is an unrecognised micronation that claims HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower), an offshore platform in the North Sea approximately twelve kilometres (6+1⁄2 nautical miles) off the coast of Suffolk, as its territory. Roughs Tower is a Maunsell Sea Fort that was built by the British in international waters during World War II. Since 1967, the decommissioned Roughs Tower has been occupied and claimed as a sovereign state by the family and associates of Paddy Roy Bates. Bates seized Roughs Tower from a group of pirate radio broadcasters in 1967 with the intention of setting up his own station there.