QUEEN Ellzabeth's lawyers yesterday stepped into a legal battle between the British millionaire twins Frederick and David Barclay and the ruler of the West's last feudal territory, the Channel Island of Sark.
The queen is seeking permission to become co defendant with Sark's ruler, Seigaeur Michael Beaumont, in the case in which the Barclays are seeking independence from Sark for their neighbouring, island of Brecqhou.
The identical twins, owners of the European newspaper and London's Ritz Hotel, bought tiny Brecqhou - separated from Sark by a sea channel 100 metres wide - three years ago.
Brecqhou is considered part of Sark, itself just 5 kms (three miles) long and 2 kms wide, and occupants are required to pay an annual levy, known as a treizieme, to Beaumont, the queen's representative on Sark.
The Barclays don't accept this. They want the court to rule whether Brecqhou belongs to Sark and whether they are obliged to comply with the feudal laws, which also say that they cannot leave the island to an heir of their own choice.
"We consider these feudal laws to be repugnant in a modern society and contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights," David Barclay said in a letter to the Sunday Telegraph.
Their case is being heard on the larger Channel Island of Guernsey.
The Barclays have won little support among the 500 people of Sark, a rugged, green island where cars are banned and locals travel by bicycle or horse and cart.
The twins have built a 30 metre granite castle on Brecqhou, which is even rockier than Sark and less than 1.6 kms long.
Sark residents, who speak a version of French, have complained of the noise and the lights which allowed builders to work on the castle 24 hours a day.
"We have no street lights on Sark, we are rather tired of having our island constantly illuminated by them throughout the night," said Ms Jennifer Cochrane, one of 12 deputies to Sark's parliament.
The twins, whose only obvious physical difference is that they part their hair on different sides, have a reputation for secrecy and probably, chose Brecqhou for its privacy. It can be reached only by boat or helicopter.