Photo by Doug Koontz David Howe, shown with wife, Pamela, and daughter, Grace, has learned he is an heir to the Kingdom of the Isle Of Man.

Today, he owns a franchise business in Frederick and he's happily married, living in Frederick County with Queen Pamela, and their 5-year-old blonde princess, Grace.

David Drew Howe isn't sure, yet, but he thinks it might be good to be the king of the small island, a self-governing British territory in the Irish Sea. Howe says he is a direct descendant of Thomas Stanley II, the First Earl of Derby and the last King of Mann.

Stanley reigned barely more than 500 years ago. The throne has been empty until Howe recently claimed himself heir of the House of Stanley Kings of the Isle.

So far, it looks legit.

Howe's intentions, at least, seem genuinely noble. He talks about auctioning off Duke and Baroness titles and hitting up British royal cousins and celebrities with a goal of raising a $1 million next year for African AIDS orphans.

Despite the uproar amongst his 80,000 Manx subjects -- understandable, the king says -- following his sudden claim of divine authority over a place he has never been to, the 38 year-old is determined to put his best boot forward.

(This is a real story, by the way.)

Howe's adventure began mysteriously and he is a bit coy about several details, but for the most part it checks out.

A United Kingdom genealogy expert and a few British amateur historians contacted him about 15 months ago, spouting an outlandish tale, and they have helped lead him to his claim, though Howe will not reveal their identity. And he claims to have one U.K. barrister's opinion in his favor.

"I had a blog then, and they said that's how they found me," Howe explained in his first media interview since being crowned this past summer at a secret location in southern Maryland.

The obvious question is: If the title of King of Mann was abandoned in 1504 (from political pressure from Henry VII, is one theory) how can someone claim to be the king today?

The answer, according to Howe's website, www.royaltyofman.com, is: "... regardless of the issues that led to the act of abeyance, the title of King still remained for a future heir to claim as declared by Henry IV in his grant to King John I of Mann and his heirs for life. Time between the succession of heirs and use of the title King is not of issue. The grant provided the Kingdom of Mann to the House of Stanley and the sovereign title 'King of Mann' to remain in existence provided there is a descendant capable of assuming the title."

Howe, who said he was initially "lukewarm" to the idea of kingship, placed a claim at the behest of his "supporters" in the United Kingdom, with Her Majesty's Stationary Office. The HMSO serves as the Queen's official Office of Public Sector Information.

After a four-week investigation conducted by Her Majesty's Stationary Office and the London Gazette, both conceded and published a notice of this claim in the Gazette in January 2007.

The Gazette notice went unchallenged for 90 days, and so, an anointing spoon, fur-collared ruby robe and jeweled crown were shipped to the U.S. for a ceremony, Howe said.

"There are guidelines for these things," he said.

The ceremony was performed by a Protestant archbishop, who wishes to remain anonymous, Howe said. Howe thus became, "the undisputed King of the Isle of Man" on March 30, 2007. He claims the ceremony restored the hereditary legacy for future generations.

Howe, who also claims to be a distant cousin to Queen Elizabeth, eventually formalized his announcement by launching his website and MySpace page, on which he has "friended" the likes of Sean Connery, Elton John, Sting, Princes William and Harry, Joss Stone, U2 and Robin Gibb (the Bee Gees are native Manxmen). Howe, who admits his local pals call him "King Ralph," after a movie starring John Goodman in a similar role, says his MySpace friends are supporters, too, and have been "vetted" by his people in the U.K.

Howe, it should be noted, says his position is "titular and de jure," one with title, but without property ownership, legal, or governmental power. He hasn't claimed authority from the Queen, the official 'Lord of Isle of Man,' or the isle's Council of Ministers. The "King David" story, however, has garnered a tremendous amount of negative coverage in Manx press and media. Letters of outrage have been sent to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Wednesday, the Island of Man newspaper reported that King David, through the company Nobility Titles, is advertising "Duke of Man" honors at 90,000 Euros a pop through its website at www.nobility.co.uk/nobility.htm. Howe said the proceeds will benefit sub-Saharan AIDS orphans through his Malawi Missions Project.

He and his wife have sponsored a Malawi AIDS orphan for several years and have been involved with Monocacy Valley Church's mission effort there.

"In the beginning of it, when he was researching his genealogy online in the wee hours of the morning, I was probably like most wives, 'Yes, that's interesting dear,'" Pam said. "I didn't think much about it until he hopped on a plane for England. Now, it's seems surreal.

"I don't think of it as 'who' we are, though. Actually, it seems like a project, something we can use for charity and do something good with. I'd love to visit once the hubbub quiets down and we're not the center of attention over there any more."

The King of Mann hasn't granted any interviews with the island's media -- yet. He's trying to let the controversy settle down a bit.

He joked that he'd like to explain he hasn't hired a general and isn't raising an army and planning to invade.

"I'm just trying to have some fun and raise money for a good cause," he said.