THERE are not many kingships for which you can write a job application. Most tend to be bestowed by divine right or, more recently, because one is in the possession of the right set of genes.

Not so in the Kingdom of Piel, a small, treeless island off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, where, in accordance with a 170-year tradition, council authorities are looking for someone to fill the throne.

All that is required of the would-be royal is that he is able to run a pub.

“A unique opportunity” is the way that the position is described on the Barrow council website. “Written expressions of interest, outlining proposals for the future of the island, should be sent to the director of regeneration.”

The honorary title King of Piel has been given to the landlord of the Ship Inn, the only pub on the 20-acre island to the East of the Isle of Walney, since it was built in 1836.

There are no official royal duties — unless serving a full English breakfast to visitors and mowing the not-inconsiderable lawns can be described as such — but the king is expected to take care of the island, and keep his subjects, who are mostly day-trippers from Blackpool or Fleetwood, happy.

“What we’re really looking for is for someone to take stewardship of the island; it’s not so much the role of a king as a tenant,” said Mike Buck, an officer at Barrow council. He added that there had been an awful lot of interest since the position was advertised last month.

Piel is not a bountiful kingdom. Besides a 14th-century castle and six holiday cottages, there is little there. A seal colony lives near by, however, and the island has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its shingle beaches.

The title of king dates back to the 15th century, when a merchant’s son called Lambert Simnel landed at Piel and claimed that he was the Earl of Warwick and, therefore, the rightful King of England.

Simnel’s attempt to march on London and seize Henry VII’s throne was foiled — he got as far as Stoke-on-Trent — but the title stuck, and since the land was donated to the people of Barrow by the Duke of Buccleugh in 1920, the landlord of the Ship Inn has formally been named on the lease as “King of Piel”.

“There really is quite a lot of responsibility, but the main reason people want to apply is so that they can be called king,” said Lesley Laver, a barmaid in the Cross Keys pub, Barrow.

“The last guy really fitted the bill. He had all the right mannerisms plus he had a face that just looked like he should be the king of a castle.”

Rod Scarr, who ran the pub with his wife and daughter for 21 years, “abdicated” in April because of ill-health.

“We’ve seen some bad times, but they’re definitely outweighed by the good ones,” Mr Scarr said. “It’s a place that gets in your blood and it’s been a wrench to leave.”

Mr Scarr’s successor should not labour under the misapprehension that his dominion will play host to a parade of international dignatories.

“There’s about 2,000-3,000 visitors per year — but they just tend to be people who like going to islands,” a council spokesperson said.

His land will, however, be well-protected. The main employer in the area is BAE Systems, which builds nuclear submarines at a facility in Barrow.

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