Whilst the Isle Of Man is technically a self-governing state, it's still ruled over by Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann (which, yes, sounds like a nick name for Satan). Its foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the British Government, but it's not like there's many people trying to invade the thing. That didn't stop somebody from trying, however, much to the chagrin of the Isle's population of 84,497 people. In 2007 American businessman David Drew Howe claimed to be a cousin to the Queen, a direct descendant of the Stanley family, and thus proclaimed himself to be the "undisputed" His Majesty King David of the Isle of Man. He then decided to start selling peerages at a huge price between £60,000 and £90,000, depending on whether you wanted to be a countess or a duke. Apparently all the proceeds went to charity, but it's illegal to sell peerages and he absolutely wasn't the rightful King Of The Isle Of Man. The matter remains publicly unsolved, privately ignored.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
