Grand Duke of Westarctica

The title Grand Duke of Westarctica was created by Travis McHenry in June 2004 as part of the transition of the Achaean Territory from a new country project to a sovereign nation. The legal basis for the creation of the title is found in the Grand Ducal Charter, as well as the Achaean Royal Charter.

Choice of title

Due to the vast land area encompassed by the country of Westarctica, there has been significant speculation and even occasional criticism over Travis' decision to proclaim himself a Grand Duke rather than a King or even an Emperor. As a sovereign leader of a newly-created monarchy, there were a wide range of titles to pick, but only the title of "Grand Duke" seemed to fit the description of what Westarctica actually was: a monarchy with limited resources and a small population, recognized by few world governments, and generally dependent on the kindness of larger nations for its continued existence.

In a 2018 interview for a documentary film, Travis gave as his motivations:

When you tell people you're a King, they're immediately credulous. Firstly, there aren't many Kings reigning in the world today, and most of them aren't hanging out a Starbucks on a Saturday morning. Secondly, there's a certain association that comes with being a King, and I don't think I'm there yet. We still have a tremendous amount of work to do before I can kick back and enjoy sitting on a gilded throne. A King is someone who has come through all that already. I'm not there yet. I'd love to have the title of Emperor someday, but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Besides, there's not much dignity in being a poor Emperor. When I tell someone I'm a Grand Duke, it's a title they've never heard before, so they keep listening while I explain the history of Westarctica and before they know it, I've delivered the whole elevator pitch and they're asking how to sign up for citizenship.
So I picked it because it's accurate and obscure. I've kept it because it fits and it works.

List of Grand Dukes of Westarctica

Picture	Name	Reign
Grand Dukes of Westarctica
	Grand Duke Travis	30 June 2004 - 16 January 2006
	Grand Duke Philip	16 January 2006 - 2008
	Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence	2008 - 2 June 2010
	Throne Vacant	2 June 2010 - 30 November 2014
	Grand Duke Travis	30 November 2014 - Present