Barrow council is advertising for someone to accept the throne of the Kingdom of Piel, a small treeless island off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The would-be royal, however, must be able to run a pub. The honorary title has been given to the landlord of the Ship Inn, on the island, since it was built in 1836. Rod Scarr, who ran the pub with his family for 21 years, “abdicated” earlier this year because of ill-health. The Times 03/06/06 page 26