Niels I, Grand Duke of Flandrensis

H.R.H. Grand Duke Niels of Flandrensis
Photo at the micronational conference in Vincennes (2018)
Grand Duke of Flandrensis
Assumed office September 2008
Predecessor	Throne established
Prince of Arkel
Assumed office 2012-2016
Predecessor	Maarten of Arkel
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Flandrensis
Assumed office 15 October 2012
Predecessor	Maarten of Arkel
Prime Minister of the Principality of Arkel
Assumed office 2009 - 2012
Prince	Maarten of Arkel
Secretary-General of the Flandrensisian Commonwealth
Assumed office 2010-2016
Predecessor	Function established
Secretary-General of the AMU
Assumed office January–June 2010 & July–October2012
Successor	James von Puchow & Daniel Morris
Commissioner of Foreign Affairs of the AMU
Assumed office October 2011 - July 2012
Predecessor	Federico Curridor
Vice Secretary of the AMU
Assumed office: March 2013 - Augustus 2013
Administrative-General of the AMU
Assumed office: Augustus 2013
Predecessor	Travis McHenry
Personal information
Born	23 February 1988 (1988-02-23)
Citizenship	Flandrensisian
Nationality	Belgian
Religion	Roman Catholic

Niels of Flandrensis (aka Niels de Saint Gilliens) is the founder and the head of state of the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis. He is one of the co-founders of the Antarctic Micronational Union and was elected as its first Secretary-General on January 15, 2010. Well-known for his disapproval toward micronational conflicts and the foundation of the Union Against Micronational War he was awarded with three micronational peace-awards. Transforming Flandrensis from a temporary hobby into a serious project he has been interviewed and mentioned in several international media (regional and national newspapers, television network channels, radio, books, scientific / cultural magazine, etc.) about Flandrensis or micronationalism in general.

Creating a new nation

Niels interest for micronationalism started when he discovered information about the Beauluna, Sealand and Molossia. Those days Niels was a student History and Religion, with a great interest in the medieval county of Flanders. On September 4, 2008 he official founded the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis, primarily inspired on the ‘Pagus Flandrensis’ (oldest Latin name of Flanders) and the Flemish history. Starting as a virtual micronation, he carefully searched unclaimed territory. On November 22, 2008 he transformed Flandrensis into an Antarctic micronation. The Antarctic Treaty prevented any new claims on Antarctica by countries. To get around this, he claimed the land as an individual and then founded a country, the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis, upon it.

Micronational influence

Contributions to micronationalism

Niels is considered an expert of Antarctic micronationalism and an innovator in Belgian micronationalism. As one of the three founding fathers of the first Antarctic micronational organization; GAMA (Grupo Del Acuerdo Micronational Antartico) and being its first Secretary-General he reorganized the organization into the Antarctic Micronational Union. During his reign as Secretary-General the concept of Antarctic micronationalism and the AMU has been heavily criticized by Gordon Freeman, Secretary-General of the OAM. But he defended the concept and his believe in Antarctic micronationalism.

Micronationalism isn’t well-known in Belgium, except some Dutch-speaking micronations from the Micras Sector. Unfortunately, most of them consider Flandrensis as secessionists and they want nothing to do with Flandrensis. In December 2010 he made an attempt to establish informal relations between all Dutch-speaking micronations by publishing an open letter, but there was no response from the Micras Sector. Although, he developed Flandrensis into the biggest territorial micronation in Belgium. Meanwhile, he helped with the foundation of three other Dutch-speaking micronations: the Principality of Arkel (disbanded in 2016), Kingdom of Albion (disbanded in 2012) and the Principality of Campinia (disbanded in 2017). Between 2010 and 2016 they cooperate together inside the Flandrensisian Commonwealth with Niels as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

After the participation of Flandrensis in PoliNation 2012 (2nd International Conference on Micronations on July 14, 2012 at London) the Belgian newspapers Het Belang van Limburg and Gazet van Antwerpen published an interview about Flandrensis as part of a reportage on European micronations. During the next years he had been interviewed by several newspapers, radio and television. Niels is highly involved in the international community of micronations and he’s a frequent guest at meetings and international conferences of micronations.

Micronational conflicts

Niels is great opponent of micronational wars and could be described as a micronational pacifist. Although, early 2009 he was involved in the Siple War with the Grand Duchy of Westarctica. Later he confessed he regret his decision to support Finismund in the conflict, a result of a lack of micronational experience. The dispute ended on September 24, 2010 with the signature of the ‘West-Antarctic Treaty’ between the AMU and Westarctica, a result of negotiations between Niels and Travis McHenry. Learning from his mistakes Niels changed the Flandrensisian policy toward micronational conflicts, resulting in a permanent neutrality of the country. Considering that all wars are a failure of diplomacy, he founded the Union Against Micronational War on July 10, 2009. For his attitude toward micronational conflicts he was awarded with five micronational peace-awards. In 2014 the French newspaper “Le Journal du Dimanche” called him the “Woodrow Wilson of micronationalism”.

Titles

Awards and decorations

Titles

• Prince of Siple
• Baron of Leerdam
• Count of Nieuw-Vlaanderen
• Earl of Francisville
• Viscount of Greater Dorzhabad
• Viscount of the Grand Principality of Campinia
• Baron of Snow Orange
• Count of Ypresen
• Duke of Carney
• Count of Westcliff
• The Invictus Cross
• Knight Commander of the Austenasian Order
• Officer in the Order of A1
• Knight Grand Commander in the Order of Beauluna
• Officer of the Order of the Blue Star
• Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Ladder
• Knight in the Order of the Dragon
• Knight of the Order of the Sovereign Eagle
• Grand Officer in the Order of Merit of the Republic of Atlantis
• Member of the Order of Parsons
• Member of the Order of Lenin and the June Revolution
• Knight Companion of the Community of Landashir
• Member of the Order of Yabloko
• Grand Cordon in the Order of the Lion
• Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Hawk
• Tiarna of St George
• Lord in the Royal Order of Saint Christopher
• Knight in the Order of St. Edward the Confessor
• Knight in the Order of the Wyvern
• Count-Palatine of the Imperial Order of Reyla
• Knight in the Order of the Southern Cross
• Order of the People's State
• Grand Officer of the Order of the Royal House of Ruthenia
• Knight of the Order of the Edelweiss
• Order of Royal
• Chevalier du Grand Ordre du Flamand Rose
• Chevalier du Ordre du Sextant

Awards

• On 1 October 2009 the first Slinky Award of Appreciation for Peace was given to Niels for the formation of the Union Against Micronational War.
• Legion of Peace
• Hero of the Republic of Subenia
• Schneider Awards for promoting Peace
• Vision for Yabloko Award for promoting peace and unity among the micronational world
• Chief Judge's Citation for Peace and Diplomacy

Niels was selected as DIME's "Micronationalist of the Month" for the month of August in 2019.

Other functions

Antarctic Micronational Union:

• Secretary-General (15 January 2010 - 14 June 2010)
• Secretary-General of the AMIS (1 January 2011 - 24 October 2011)
• Commissioner of Foreign Affairs (17 October 2011 - 31 December 2011)
• Commissioner of Foreign Affairs (1 January 2012 - 7 July 2012)
• Secretary-General (8 July 2012 - 24 October 2012)
• Vice-Secretary (1 March 2013 - 22 August 2013)
• Administrative-General (22 August 2013- 18 September 2014)

Flandrensisian Commonwealth:

• Secretary-General (24 October 2010 - 11 April 2016)

Kingdom of Albion

• Prime Minister (12 July 2010 - 7 January 2012)

Arkel:

• Prime Minister (14 January 2010 - 14 October 2012)
• Prince (15 October 2012 - 11 April 2016)

Others:

• League of Secessionist States: Third Chief Justice (August 2011 - September 2011)