INDUCTION CLASS OF 2025

Born Richard Booth in 1928, Hay-on-Wye’s future founder proclaimed Hay-on-Wye an independent nation, with him as sovereign and his horse as Prime Minister in what was dubbed by the BBC a publicity stunt in 1971. This would in turn lead the small town to turn into a “mecca for second-hand book lovers” according to his local Minister for Parliament assigned for the portion of Hay-on-Wye’s enclaving micronation.

Indeed King Richard’s efforts were a cornerstone in what would become an impressive tourism industry within the area, with some reports stating as many as half a million visitors per year. These contributions to tourism led to King Richard being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2004. This continues to be the only known example of a micronationalist being so honored by the nation they declared independence from. King Richard passed away peacefully at home in 2019 at the age of 80. His lasting legacy is not only one of having turned around the economy of a village, but of excellence in micronationalism.