Passport to Pimlico

An unexploded bomb detonates in Miramont Gardens, Pimlico, revealing a long-buried cellar filled with artwork, coins, jewellery, and an ancient manuscript. The manuscript is authenticated by historian Professor Hatton-Jones as a royal charter of Edward IV that ceded a house and its estates to Charles, the last Duke of Burgundy, when he sought refuge there after the 1477 Battle of Nancy. This discovery triggers a claim that a portion of postwar London remains legally Burgundy.

Professor Hatton-Jones authenticates the document as the royal charter of Edward IV. The charter details that a house and its estates were ceded to Charles, the last Duke of Burgundy, and it has never been revoked. This validation anchors Burgundy's legal claim.

Because the charter has never been revoked, an area of Pimlico is declared legally Burgundy. The British government acknowledges it has no jurisdiction there, setting the stage for negotiations with local residents.

Sébastien de Charolais arrives to present his claim to the Burgundian title, which is verified by Professor Hatton-Jones. He forms the ruling council, including Spiller, Wix, and Arthur Pemberton who is appointed Burgundy's prime minister.

The Burgundian council begins discussions with the British government about the Burgundian treasure and how Burgundy will be governed. The talks lay the groundwork for a possible accommodation between the two sides.

As Burgundian status is revealed, the district is flooded with black market shoppers who defy rationing and rules. Spiller struggles to manage the growing chaos, highlighting the limits of local enforcement.

In response to the unrest, British authorities surround Burgundy with barbed wire, effectively isolating the enclave. The tense standoff foreshadows a broader political dispute.

Residents retaliate against the blockade by stopping a London Underground train as it passes through Burgundy and demanding passenger passport checks. The action underscores the community's defiance.

The British government breaks off negotiations and isolates Burgundy; power, water, and food deliveries are cut off at the border. The residents are invited to emigrate, but they resist as the stalemate continues.

The government invites the Burgundians to emigrate to England, but the residents remain defiant and refuse to abandon their enclave. The stand becomes a symbol of Burgundian resolve in the face of bureaucratic pressure.

Late one night, the Burgundians connect a hose to a nearby water main to fill a bomb crater, solving the water problem but flooding the food store. The new challenge threatens the community’s food supply.

Sympathetic Londoners begin to throw food parcels across the barrier; a helicopter pumps milk into the enclave; pigs are parachuted in to bolster supplies. The improvised aid helps sustain residents as tensions persist.

With public pressure mounting, the negotiators recognize that the disposition of the unearthed treasure is central to any solution. Wix becomes Burgundy's chancellor of the exchequer and proposes a loan of the treasure to Britain.

A compromise is achieved and Burgundy reunites with Britain; rationing for food and clothing is restored to the area. The enclave returns to a status close to normal, with the historic claim acknowledged within the British framework.

A celebratory outdoor banquet marks the resolution, but heavy rain and plummeting temperatures interrupt the festivities. The moment underscores the uneasy blend of relief and discomfort that follows the political settlement.