A TINY island off the coast of the Furness Peninsula is to formally crown its new monarch today. 

Aaron Sanderson will have beer poured on his head as part of his 'coronation' on 50-acre Piel Island. 

The title of King or Queen of Piel is bestowed upon the landlord of the Ship Inn.

BAE worker Mr Sanderson, 33, took on the island pub earlier this year.

He was chosen from a list of more than 30 applicants by Barrow Borough Council, which is the custodian of Piel.

"I just love the place, it's somewhere I've been coming for such a long time," said Mr Sanderson.

"It's stunning. There's just a different view everywhere you look. 

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"It can be grey and horrible but still beautiful at the same time."

Former King of Piel Rod Scarr is to conduct today's ceremony, which gets under way at around 2pm. 

"He'll say a few words, there's a bit of a script to read from," said Mr Sanderson.

"He'll sit me in the chair [the 'throne'] and I'll get beer poured on my head."

Mr Sanderson said the summer had been 'really busy'.

The Mail: Aaron Sanderson is the landlord of Piel's Ship Inn pubAaron Sanderson is the landlord of Piel's Ship Inn pub

"We have had some good weather and I think that's what makes it, really," he said.

"We have had a lot of people come over, some old faces and some new faces."

Veteran Piel tour guide John Murphy told The Mail about the history behind the monarch tradition on a previous occasion.

On June 5, 1487, a force hoping to overthrow Henry VII landed on Piel Island. The figurehead of this Yorkist rebellion was a 10-year-old named Lambert Simnel. Simnel was promoted as the rightful heir to the throne but was, in reality, of humble origin.

The army camped overnight on the island before setting off in the direction of London the next morning.

The rebellion was crushed at the Battle of Stoke Field, near Newark.

Simnel was spared, however, and, according to Mr Murphy, ended up working in the Tower of London before becoming a falconer.

In the 1800s, a group who were drinking at the Ship Inn drew on the story of this failed takeover and decided Piel Island could have a monarch of its own.