The British island of Sark was, until today, the last feudal state in the Western world.
Today its first democratic election is taking place.
The island lies between Britain and France in the English Channel and, despite lying off the coast of Normandy, is a British Crown Dependency and has Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State.
It is a part of the Channel Islands, which includes the larger islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and Sark is a part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Sark's parliament is the Chief Pleas.
The nearest Sark has to a Prime Minister is the Seigneur de Sark - an office established by Elizabeth I. This title has been held by John Michael Beaumont since 1974.
The Channel Islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933. In 1066, William II of Normandy, a vassal to the king of France, invaded and conquered England, becoming William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror.
The islands are Britain's last remaining Norman possessions. Since 1204, the loss of the rest of the English monarch's lands in mainland Normandy has meant that the Channel Islands have been governed as separate possessions of the Crown ever since.
Sark ends feudal system to vote in first democratic government today
By Daily Mail Reporter
10th December 2008
Daily Mail
John Michael Beaumont has been the current 'Seigneur de Sark' since 1974. The tiny Channel Island votes in its first democratic government today
Europe's last existing feudal state will disappear forever today when the Channel Island of Sark votes in its first democratic government.
The tiny island, which has a population of just 600, abolished its 450-year-old system of unelected descendants in order to comply with international human rights legislation.
Sark, which lies 80 miles off the UK coast, was previously ruled by the heirs of 40 families brought in to colonise it after the French left in 1553.
Until today it was run by the unelected ruling body - called the Chief Pleas - composed of the inheritors of 40 parcels of land who were titled 'deputies' and 12 'people's deputies' chosen by islanders.
The leader of the Chief Pleas is the 'Seigneur of Sark', an office which can trace its history back to the first feudal lord Hellier de Carteret, who ruled from 1563 to 1578.
Founded by Queen Elizabeth I, the position is now held by 81-year-old John Michael Beaumont, who took the title in 1974.
The Seigneur holds bizarrely antiquated rights, including the sole right to keep pigeons and unspayed female dogs, and all debris washed up between the high and low tide lines.
There is also the Droit de Seigneur - the right to sleep with any bride on her wedding night.
But the Seigneur is due to be stripped of many of his powers once the new government comes into force.
The new system will create 28 elected deputies to sit on the Chief Pleas, for which 57 candidates came forward.
Enlarge
History: Sark was previously ruled by the heirs of 40 families brought in to colonise the island after the French left in 1553
A historic first meeting of the new assembly of Chief Pleas will take place in January to discuss further reforms on Sark.
The push for a change to democracy on the island has been a hot political issue for many years.
It gained extra momentum when the billionaire businessmen Sir David Barclay and his brother Sir Frederick challenged its legality, leading to the decision for democracy in February.
The pair, who own the Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and the Ritz, live on the nearby island of Brecqhou and claim Sark's authorities will still not conform to the European Convention on Human Rights after the election.
They believe the Seigneur and the Seneschal - the island's judge - will still have too much power even after democracy kicks in.
Earlier this month the Appeal Court ruled the role of Seneschal breached human rights, but refused to quash a Reform Law.
dailymail.co.uk
Today its first democratic election is taking place.
The island lies between Britain and France in the English Channel and, despite lying off the coast of Normandy, is a British Crown Dependency and has Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State.
It is a part of the Channel Islands, which includes the larger islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and Sark is a part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Sark's parliament is the Chief Pleas.
The nearest Sark has to a Prime Minister is the Seigneur de Sark - an office established by Elizabeth I. This title has been held by John Michael Beaumont since 1974.
The Channel Islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933. In 1066, William II of Normandy, a vassal to the king of France, invaded and conquered England, becoming William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror.
The islands are Britain's last remaining Norman possessions. Since 1204, the loss of the rest of the English monarch's lands in mainland Normandy has meant that the Channel Islands have been governed as separate possessions of the Crown ever since.
Sark ends feudal system to vote in first democratic government today
By Daily Mail Reporter
10th December 2008
Daily Mail
John Michael Beaumont has been the current 'Seigneur de Sark' since 1974. The tiny Channel Island votes in its first democratic government today
Europe's last existing feudal state will disappear forever today when the Channel Island of Sark votes in its first democratic government.
The tiny island, which has a population of just 600, abolished its 450-year-old system of unelected descendants in order to comply with international human rights legislation.
Sark, which lies 80 miles off the UK coast, was previously ruled by the heirs of 40 families brought in to colonise it after the French left in 1553.
Until today it was run by the unelected ruling body - called the Chief Pleas - composed of the inheritors of 40 parcels of land who were titled 'deputies' and 12 'people's deputies' chosen by islanders.
The leader of the Chief Pleas is the 'Seigneur of Sark', an office which can trace its history back to the first feudal lord Hellier de Carteret, who ruled from 1563 to 1578.
Founded by Queen Elizabeth I, the position is now held by 81-year-old John Michael Beaumont, who took the title in 1974.
The Seigneur holds bizarrely antiquated rights, including the sole right to keep pigeons and unspayed female dogs, and all debris washed up between the high and low tide lines.
There is also the Droit de Seigneur - the right to sleep with any bride on her wedding night.
But the Seigneur is due to be stripped of many of his powers once the new government comes into force.
The new system will create 28 elected deputies to sit on the Chief Pleas, for which 57 candidates came forward.
Enlarge
History: Sark was previously ruled by the heirs of 40 families brought in to colonise the island after the French left in 1553
A historic first meeting of the new assembly of Chief Pleas will take place in January to discuss further reforms on Sark.
The push for a change to democracy on the island has been a hot political issue for many years.
It gained extra momentum when the billionaire businessmen Sir David Barclay and his brother Sir Frederick challenged its legality, leading to the decision for democracy in February.
The pair, who own the Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and the Ritz, live on the nearby island of Brecqhou and claim Sark's authorities will still not conform to the European Convention on Human Rights after the election.
They believe the Seigneur and the Seneschal - the island's judge - will still have too much power even after democracy kicks in.
Earlier this month the Appeal Court ruled the role of Seneschal breached human rights, but refused to quash a Reform Law.
dailymail.co.uk
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