Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles

The Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles was a former micronation located in Portsmouth, England. It was established on 16 August 2005. It was established by school teacher Louis Robert Harold Stephens, who proclaimed himself as Grand Duke Louis. He founded the nation as a class project, and claimed the territory in Baffins Pond, three tiny islands located within the pond.

History

Records of Baffins Farm (including the pond) date back to 1194. Since then, it has changed hands several times. In the 19th century, it was used by local farmers, and in 1912 it became a public park. In 1938, it was saved from demolition and sold to the City of Portsmouth. Stephens established the Grand Duchy's putative claim to the pond islands on 16 August 2005, after noticing that they were not specifically mentioned in the 1938 land sale contract. He subsequently sent a letter announcing his claim to the Portsmouth council and released a series of banknotes with an ornithological theme. On 8 November 2019, the Nation of Unclean illegally occupied the isles as an oligarchy with three rulers. Currently, the Nation of Unclean is being annexed by the Republic of Islettrio.