John Gawsworth, aka King Juan I, talked up the fledgling micronation, spinning royal yarns and handing out titles and duchies to anyone willing to pick up the tab at his local pub.

In 2009, Michael Howorth received a phone call from an unfamiliar voice, informing him that an old acquaintance had passed away. Not just that: The dead man had, for more than a decade, believed himself to be the king of an uninhabited island in the West Indies. And according to the man’s will, Howorth, a freelance writer based in southeast England, was to succeed him on the throne.

Howorth was stunned by the news. Flattered, too. But there was a catch. In order to validate the claim, the new king would have to travel 4,000 miles to the Caribbean, hike to the highest point on the island, and raise his royal standard — all in... Read More