Kingdom of Redonda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Redonda
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: Floreat Redonda!
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Anthem: O God Who Gave Our Island Soil
Words by Leigh Vaughan Henry, Words attributed to John Gawsworth |
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| Status | Current |
| Official languages | Spanish, English |
| Demonym(s) | Redondan(s) |
| Organizational structure | Absolute monarchy |
| Establishment | |
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• Declared
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1865 |
| Area claimed | |
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• Total
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2 km2 (0.77 sq mi)(estimate) |
| Membership | More than 100 Redondan peers have been created since the 1930s |
| Purported currency | None |
The Kingdom of Redonda is a fun idea linked to a tiny, empty island called Redonda. This island is in the Caribbean Sea.
Redonda is found between the islands of Nevis and Montserrat. It is part of the Leeward Islands in the West Indies. Legally, Redonda belongs to Antigua and Barbuda. The island is only about 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 1/3 mile (0.5 km) wide. It has a peak that rises 971 feet (296 meters) high.
The island is full of birds. But it's hard for people to live there. There is no fresh water except for rain. Most of the island is very steep and rocky. There is only a small, flat, grassy area at the top. Getting onto the island is also very tricky. It's only possible on calm days, on the side away from the wind. Climbing to the top is also very hard.
Even with these problems, Redonda was once busy. From 1865 to 1912, people mined guano there. Guano is bird droppings used as fertilizer. Thousands of tons of this material were sent to Britain. You can still see the old mining ruins on the island today.
Redonda is also known as a micronation. A micronation is like a pretend country. It might have been a real kingdom for a short time in the 1800s. This story comes from a fantasy writer named M. P. Shiel. The claim to be "King" of Redonda is still argued about today. It's usually done in a half-serious way. The "Kingdom" also has many "aristocratic" members. These people get their titles from whoever is the current "King." Today, several people in different countries claim to be the true "King" of Redonda.
Contents
History of the Kingdom
The story of the "Kingdom" of Redonda is a mix of facts and legends. It is hard to know what is true and what is made up.
The Story Begins with M. P. Shiel
M. P. Shiel (1865–1947) was a writer of adventure and fantasy stories. He was the first to tell the story of the "Kingdom of Redonda." He wrote about it in 1929. This was in a small book to promote his other works.
The story goes that Shiel's father, Matthew Dowdy Shiell, claimed Redonda. He was a trader from the nearby island of Montserrat. He supposedly claimed the island when his son, M. P. Shiel, was born. The father thought he could do this because no country had officially claimed the island. Shiell senior also asked Queen Victoria to make him King of Redonda. The legend says the British Colonial Office agreed. They said he could be king as long as he did not fight against British rule.
M. P. Shiel said he was crowned King of Redonda at age 15 in 1880. A bishop from Antigua supposedly crowned him on the island. However, Shiel did not write about this until 1929. So, some parts of his coronation story might be made up.
In his writings, Shiel seemed to think accepting the title was a bit silly. This might suggest some truth to the coronation story. Shiel also named two different bishops who crowned him. Both men were real church leaders in the Caribbean at that time. This might just be Shiel's memory playing tricks. Shiel also wrote that American guano miners refused to pay him taxes. This early rejection of his kingship could mean the coronation really happened.
Shiel wrote many stories about kings and rulers. For example, in his book The Purple Cloud, the last man on Earth becomes king of the world. In The Lord of the Sea, a powerful man takes over the world. In 1899, Shiel wrote about visiting Redonda in his book Contraband of War.
Later in his life, Shiel gave his "King" title to his fan, John Gawsworth. Gawsworth (1912–70) was a poet and editor in London. He was also the "Archduke" of Redonda. Gawsworth seemed to pass on the title several times when he needed money. People jokingly called Gawsworth's kingdom "Almadonda." This was because he often held court at the Alma pub in London.
After Shiel's Death
Gawsworth had also promised his friends, Charles and Jean Leggett, that their first son, Max Juan Tonge Leggett, would be his heir. This was if they named the child "Juan."
Some experts believe Gawsworth gave the title to Arthur John Roberts in 1967. This was done with a special agreement. Before this, the writer Dominic Behan also claimed Gawsworth gave him the title in 1960. It is also said that Gawsworth gave the throne to Aleph Kamal. Famous people like novelist Edna O'Brien were part of Kamal's group.
Other people who have called themselves monarchs of Redonda include Michael Lawler in 2010, Marvin Kitman, and William Scott Home. Scott Home said his claim came from special powers and being reborn. After "King Bob the Bald" (Robert Williamson) died, Michael Lawler visited Redonda. He went there on his yacht "Traveler" on January 29, 2010. Lawler went ashore and said he was the Seventh King of Redonda. He also crowned his wife, Barbara Lawler, as Queen.
Publisher and environmentalist Jon Wynne-Tyson says Gawsworth gave him the kingship. This was before Gawsworth died in 1970. He also got the rights to Gawsworth's writings.
Later Events and Many Kings
Jon Wynne-Tyson visited Redonda in 1979. This trip was set up by a kind person named A. Reynolds Morse. Wynne-Tyson was known as King Juan II. He ruled until 1997. Then he gave the kingship to the novelist Javier Marías from Madrid. Marías also received the rights to Gawsworth's and Shiel's writings.
Arthur John Roberts' title later went to William Leonard Gates. Gawsworth had given Gates the title of "Baron L'Angelier de Blythswood de Redonda." Gates was known as King Leo. He lived in Thurlton, Norfolk. He led a group called "The Redondan Foundation." Gates died on January 2, 2019. His crown then passed to Queen Josephine.
Like in Gawsworth's time, these different groups sometimes met. They met at the Fitzroy Tavern in central London. King Leo was king for thirty years, starting in 1989. Williamson, who lived on Antigua, called himself "King Robert the Bald." He died in 2009. Yachting writer Michael Howorth became his successor in 2009.
In 1988, a London church leader named Paul de Fortis started "The Redondan Cultural Foundation." He thought the other kings were not doing enough. So, de Fortis supported a new king, Cedric Boston. Boston was born on Montserrat in 1960. He claimed the Redondan throne in 1984. Many of Gawsworth's followers supported him.
Wynne-Tyson has said about the Kingdom of Redonda:
The legend is and should remain a pleasing and eccentric fairy tale; a piece of literary mythology to be taken with salt, romantic sighs, appropriate perplexity, some amusement, but without great seriousness. It is, after all, a fantasy.
Many famous writers became "peers" (like nobles) in Redonda. This started in the time of Shiel and Gawsworth. Some of them include Arthur Machen, Lawrence Durrell, Dylan Thomas, Henry Miller, Rebecca West, Dorothy L. Sayers, and J. B. Priestley. The British beat poet, Royston Ellis, was even honored twice.
Actors who became nobles during Gawsworth's time include Michael Denison, Diana Dors, Dirk Bogarde, Vincent Price, and Joan Greenwood. Broadcasters like Libby Purves and Alan Coren were also honored. King Xavier's (Javier Marías') peers include Pedro Almodóvar, Francis Ford Coppola, A. S. Byatt, Alice Munro, Umberto Eco, and Philip Pullman. The artist Stephen Chambers was honored in 2017.
Wynne-Tyson, Javier Marías, Bob Williamson, William Gates, and Cedric Boston were all interviewed. This was for a BBC Radio 4 show called Redonda: The Island with Too Many Kings. It was broadcast in May 2007.
Death of Javier Marías
On September 11, 2022, Javier Marías died in Madrid. This meant the "throne" was once again open for someone to claim.
List of Kings
Here are the people who have been called King of Redonda:
Undisputed (mostly agreed upon)
- Matthew Dowdy Shiell, 1865–1880
- Matthew Phipps Shiell, 1880–1947 (called King Felipe I)
- John Gawsworth, 1947–1967 or 1970 (called King Juan I)
Disputed (people disagree about who was king)
- Arthur John Roberts, 1967–1989 (called King Juan II)
- Jon Wynne-Tyson, 1970–1997 (called King Juan II)
- William Leonard Gates, 1989–2019 (called King Leo)
- Javier Marías, 1997–2022 (called King Xavier)
- Max Leggett, from 1950
- Giancarlo Ezio I di Montedoglio (Giancarlo Noferi, 1967 - 2013), who gave up his claim to:
- Giuseppe Giovanni I (Giuseppe G. Garbarino, from 2019)
Giancarlo Noferi, also known as Giancarlo Ezio I of Montedoglio, was another person who claimed the throne. He died in 2019. Giancarlo Noferi was named by Ian Fletcher, a close friend of John Gawsworth. Gawsworth confirmed Noferi's claim in Florence in 1970. Giancarlo Ezio I wanted to pass on the idea of Redonda. He believed it was a literary kingdom that created an "intellectual aristocracy." In 2013, he passed this idea to Giuseppe Garbarino, a writer and publisher in Florence, Italy. After Noferi's death, Giuseppe Garbarino continued the cultural legacy linked to Redonda.
Other Claimants
- Bob Williamson, 2000–2009 (called King Bob the Bald)
- Michael Howorth 2009– (called King Michael the Grey)
See also
In Spanish: Reino de Redonda para niños
