And Wallace surveyed his kingdom and declared it to be Lovely

Now the 28-year-old journalist and author has more than 36,000, willing subjects, which - he notes - makes his new state "bigger than The Vatican, San Marino, Monaco and Liechtenstein".

Last night, London's Leicester Square was packed with some of those who have taken citizenship alongside Wallace since he launched the idea on BBC2's How To Start Your Own Country.

And, in an early and refreshing exercise of democracy, the new nation voted itself a name: suggestions including the United Kingdan and Dantopia were narrowed down to a toss-up between Lovely and Home. Lovely won.

"At last, my unnamed kingdom ... is named," Wallace told The Independent. "By the people, for the people, in front of the people. We are Lovely, and no one can deny it. I am proud to be the King of Lovely."

Lovely now has its own flag and national anthem and and an Order of Excellence of Danny for deserving citizens - which Wallace invested during the series, the the final episode of which airs on Wednesday.