Dad claims African land to make daughter a princess
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Virginia man is taking "daddy's little princess" to a whole different level.
Jeremiah Heaton went to Africa and claimed a kingdom for his daughter, Emily, who asked her father if she would ever become a princess. After he told her yes, he actually took steps to make it happen.
"As a father I do my very best to not make empty promises to my children. At the time I had no idea how I would honor her wish but I knew that I had to find a way," Heaton wrote in a Facebook post.
Bir Tawil, the desert area that Heaton said he found, is about 795 square miles and sits along the Sudanese border with Egypt. Heaton found the land after searching online for unclaimed territories in the world.
He says the unclaimed land has been part of a century-old border dispute and that other people have tried to claim it over the Internet. He hopes his physical journey to the land means he can rightfully claim it.
Heaton said, with the support of the Egyptian government, he traveled 14 hours through the desert to reach the territory and physically claimed the land by planting a flag designed by his children.
On June 16 -- Emily's 7th birthday -- he proclaimed the land the "Kingdom of North Sudan." Heaton declared himself the head of the sovereign monarchy, making his daughter the princess.
It's unclear whether Heaton's claim will be deemed legitimate. The father of three plans to formally reach out to Sudan and Egypt to recognize the kingdom.
Nevertheless, Heaton has requested that his daughter be addressed as "Princess Emily," so that she will always "be reminded of my love and the lengths I will go to fulfill her every wish."
