Everyone loves a micronation, and after the prince of Sealand Paddy Roy Bates graduated from the DDP in 2012, attentions turned to Prince Leonard Casley of Hutt River. Casley was a wheat farmer who “seceded” from Australia in an argument about grain quotas. The “nation”, which encompassed Casley’s 75-square-km farm, was actually bigger than five nations recognised by the UN (San Martino, Monaco, Vatican, Nauru and Tuvalu). Casley “abdicated” as leader in 2017, passing the reins (and reign) down to his son, on account of poor health. Emphysema has finally caught up with him age 93 and, as Hutt River doesn’t have any medical facilities, he died in exile (in a hospital in Geraldton).
Leonard Casley
28 August 1925 – 13 February 2019
Died aged 93 (unique pick)