In this article, we report the summary of the interview with the Prince of West Antarctic H.R.H. Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb, Regent Emeritus of Antarctica, made by Luigi Baratiri.
Prince of West Antarctic Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb, a direct descendant of Admiral Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, recently spoke about his current work as Regent Emeritus of Antarcticland and Regent of West Antarctic, in an interview. During the interview, the Prince discussed his family and the history of Antarctica, as well as his vision for the future of Antarcticland as an example of how small and independent governments can work together to create a sustainable future.
Prince explained how the discovery of Antarctica was made by his ancestor, Admiral Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. The latter, at the behest of Russia’s Tsar Alexander the First, undertook an expedition to explore the South Pacific and discovered Antarctica in 1821. When von Bellingshausen returned to Russia and reported the discovery of the “strange ice continent,” the Tsar did not give him much credit. However, to reward him, he gave him the discovered territories and instructed him to protect them through a group of knights, known as the Knights of Ice, who were commanded by the admiral himself.
The Prince also explained how his family maintained control of Antarctica through the Knights of Ice for many years, until communications and transportation developed and various powers began to encroach on the territory. In any case, there was always a presence of the Knights of Ice in protecting Antarctica.
How Antarcticland was born
Next, the Prince spoke about his current activities as regent of Antarcticland. He explained how, in 2007, a terminally ill great-uncle contacted him to acquaint him with the family history and to pass the command of the Knights of Ice on to him. After a series of meetings, the Prince accepted the challenge and decided to relaunch Antarctica. He noticed that there was an area of Antarctica that had not been occupied and that ran from parallel 90 to 135.
Later, the Prince named this area Antarcticland and made a complaint to the United Nations through the Supreme Court in New York. From then on, he created a government and called in intellectuals, economists and others to form a program.
Prince also explained how his attention was required by many different activities, including his work as a lawyer and his involvement in the Unrepresented United Nations. He said that because of this, he decided to abdicate by creating a triumvirate of Regents to rule Antarcticland. The command of the Knights of Ice then passed to the Grand Master of the Order of St. John
