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To fulfill a promise to his seven-year-old daughter that she could be a princess, one man laid claim to desert land between Egypt and Sudan
‘Princess’ Emily Heaton, 7, at home in Abingdon, Virginia. Picture: David Crigger Source: AP Photo: AP
By Josie Ensor, and agencies
A father from Virginia has gone to extreme lengths for his daughter, flying to Africa and claiming a “kingdom” between Egypt and Sudan so that she can be an actual princess.
Jeremiah Heaton began his unusual quest for the unclaimed piece of land sandwiched between the two countries after making a promise to seven-year-old daughter Emily that she would one day be royalty.
After reaching the desert region of Bir Tawil in June, the father-of-three planted a flag his children had designed, and made the first steps towards claiming the land.
On his return Mr Heaton and wife made a crown for their daughter and asked friends and family to refer to her as Princess Emily.
Her kingdom covers about 800 square miles of desert that has never been claimed by Sudan or Egypt.
Mr Heaton found Bir Tawil, one of the last unclaimed pieces of land on the planet, after searching for how he could fulfill his promise to Emily.
Several attempts to claim ownership of the region have been made online, but Mr Heaton believes that actually travelling to the site and planting the flag gave his claim an edge.
'Princess’ Emily Heaton, 7, at home in Abingdon, Virginia. Picture: David Crigger Source: AP
'It’s beautiful there,' Mr Heaton said. 'It’s an arid desert in Northeastern Africa. Bedouins roam the area; the population is actually zero.'
It took Mr Heaton 14 hours to travel by caravan through the desert before he could plant the flag, which has a blue background and a seal and stars representing the family.
He may have completed his journey in June, but it began at the start of the year when he was chatting to his young daughter.
“Over the winter, Emily and I were playing, and she has a fixation on princesses. She asked me, in all seriousness, if she’d be a real princess someday,” Mr Heaton said. “And I said she would.”
As well as designing a flag for their country, Mr Heaton's children have also decided to name it the Kingdom of North Sudan.
Princess Emily, who sleeps in a custom-made castle bed, is showing signs of being a generous ruler, and said that she wants to ensure children in the region have enough food.
“That’s definitely a concern in that part of the world. We discussed what we could do as a nation to help," Mr Heaton said.
He added that Princess Emily, and her brothers Justin and Caleb, could become a driving force in the region.
“If we can turn North Sudan into an agricultural hub for the area ... a lot of technology has gone into agriculture and water”' he said. “These are the things [the kids] are concerned with.”
The next step for Mr Heaton is to get Sudan and Egypt to recognise his Kingdom of North Sudan.
“I feel confident in the claim we’ve made,” Mr Heaton said. “That’s the exact same process that has been done for thousands of years. The exception is this nation was claimed for love.”
Shelia Carapico, professor of political science and international studies at the University of Richmond, said the family's claim will need to be recognised by the other African nations.
She said it was not plausible for someone to plant a flag and say they have political control over the land without legal recognition from neighbouring countries, the United Nations or other groups.
In addition, she said, it is not known whether people have ownership of the land, regardless of whether the property is part of a political nation.
The Heaton family remain undeterred however, and have ordered letterheads bearing the country's seal. One of Mr Heaton's sons also made a serving tray featuring the flag while at camp.
“They are really getting into the idea. I think the idea of a nation with a clear purpose of helping other people ... I think that’ll be well-received and we’ll get recognition from other nations to partner with,” he said.
But the main intent, he added, was to show his daughter he would follow through on the promise he made.
“I think there’s a lot of love in the world. I want my children to know I will do absolutely anything for them,” he said.
‘Princess’ Emily Heaton, 7, at home in Abingdon, Virginia. Picture: David Crigger Source: AP Photo: AP
By Josie Ensor, and agencies
A father from Virginia has gone to extreme lengths for his daughter, flying to Africa and claiming a “kingdom” between Egypt and Sudan so that she can be an actual princess.
Jeremiah Heaton began his unusual quest for the unclaimed piece of land sandwiched between the two countries after making a promise to seven-year-old daughter Emily that she would one day be royalty.
After reaching the desert region of Bir Tawil in June, the father-of-three planted a flag his children had designed, and made the first steps towards claiming the land.
On his return Mr Heaton and wife made a crown for their daughter and asked friends and family to refer to her as Princess Emily.
Her kingdom covers about 800 square miles of desert that has never been claimed by Sudan or Egypt.
Mr Heaton found Bir Tawil, one of the last unclaimed pieces of land on the planet, after searching for how he could fulfill his promise to Emily.
Several attempts to claim ownership of the region have been made online, but Mr Heaton believes that actually travelling to the site and planting the flag gave his claim an edge.
'It’s beautiful there,' Mr Heaton said. 'It’s an arid desert in Northeastern Africa. Bedouins roam the area; the population is actually zero.'
It took Mr Heaton 14 hours to travel by caravan through the desert before he could plant the flag, which has a blue background and a seal and stars representing the family.
He may have completed his journey in June, but it began at the start of the year when he was chatting to his young daughter.
“Over the winter, Emily and I were playing, and she has a fixation on princesses. She asked me, in all seriousness, if she’d be a real princess someday,” Mr Heaton said. “And I said she would.”
As well as designing a flag for their country, Mr Heaton's children have also decided to name it the Kingdom of North Sudan.
Princess Emily, who sleeps in a custom-made castle bed, is showing signs of being a generous ruler, and said that she wants to ensure children in the region have enough food.
“That’s definitely a concern in that part of the world. We discussed what we could do as a nation to help," Mr Heaton said.
He added that Princess Emily, and her brothers Justin and Caleb, could become a driving force in the region.
“If we can turn North Sudan into an agricultural hub for the area ... a lot of technology has gone into agriculture and water”' he said. “These are the things [the kids] are concerned with.”
The next step for Mr Heaton is to get Sudan and Egypt to recognise his Kingdom of North Sudan.
“I feel confident in the claim we’ve made,” Mr Heaton said. “That’s the exact same process that has been done for thousands of years. The exception is this nation was claimed for love.”
Shelia Carapico, professor of political science and international studies at the University of Richmond, said the family's claim will need to be recognised by the other African nations.
She said it was not plausible for someone to plant a flag and say they have political control over the land without legal recognition from neighbouring countries, the United Nations or other groups.
In addition, she said, it is not known whether people have ownership of the land, regardless of whether the property is part of a political nation.
The Heaton family remain undeterred however, and have ordered letterheads bearing the country's seal. One of Mr Heaton's sons also made a serving tray featuring the flag while at camp.
“They are really getting into the idea. I think the idea of a nation with a clear purpose of helping other people ... I think that’ll be well-received and we’ll get recognition from other nations to partner with,” he said.
But the main intent, he added, was to show his daughter he would follow through on the promise he made.
“I think there’s a lot of love in the world. I want my children to know I will do absolutely anything for them,” he said.
