He claims the Queen simply asked, "What are you doing here?" He also spoke of entering the post room. Technically, this was the second time Fagan successfully scaled the fortified wallsbut the first time he managed to accomplish his goal of speaking to the Queen. I didnt frighten her too much but I was quite shocked," he told of the moment he pulled back the bed curtains to discover Queen Elizabeth asleep in her bed. He later testified to leaving the palace through the back gardens without attracting any attention from security. Eventually, as he would later testify in court, Fagan grew so bored of waiting to be caught by security that he decided to leave the palace. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. You decide. He enters the building through a window and is able to walk into the throne room, where he sits in one of the thrones, before drinking a bottle of wine and smashing a vase. According to a Scotland Yard investigation, Fagan says he found a glass ashtray in an anteroom and broke it, intending to slit his wrists in front of the Queen. Ultimately, Fagan made his way into the residential wing of the palace and, apparently unwittingly, to the bedroom of none other than the Queen. (This makes sense: Charles and Diana had just welcomed their first child, Prince William, weeks before.) He was sent for treatment (as a patient rather than criminal) at a secure psychiatric hospital in Liverpool on Tuesday 5th October 1982, according to newspaper reports the following day. He found a bottle of Australian wine in the cabinet and poured himself a drink. I eventually found a door and walked out into the back gardens, climbed over the wall and walked down the Mall, looking back and thinking 'ooh,'" he told the Independent. "I hope she lives to be a hundred. The Crown takes creative license with this telling, imagining a version of events where Fagan and the Queen do, in fact, share a tense but enlightening conversation. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. The Queen may not be eager to hear from Faganbut hey, at least hes not planning another unscheduled visit to Buckingham Palace. After previously seeking aid through government channels without avail, the unemployed, divorced decorator sought help elsewhere: with Her Royal Highness herself. Michael Fagan twice entered Buckingham Palace by scaling the fence. Later Margaret Thatcher goes on to apologize to the Queen for the 'troublemaker' who 'resorted to violence' by breaking into the palace. "The right to work, the right to be ill, the right to be old, the right to be frail, to be human gone.". According to a story from The Guardian following the incident, he initially told the police that he broke in to see the Queen because he was in love with her, but on other occasions he has suggested that he thought the Queen might be able to help him in some way, per The Sun, or, as he told the Independent, that the decision was fueled by a prolonged reaction to taking hallucinogenic mushrooms several months before. Soon after the first break-in, Fagan was arrested for stealing a car, and spent three weeks in prison. According to Fagan, the footman later poured him a glass of whiskey. 'Elizabeth R: A Biography,' a 1983 biography of the Queen by Lady Langford, describes how the Queen "reacted calmly" to the intruder, and wondered how to call for help without "frightening" Fagan. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The investigation resulted in the suspension of one security officer, the removal from duty of two others, and a significant reinvestment in palace security. They say she must have been frightened. He was unemployed at the time of the break-ins. The book also described how Fagan's thumb was cut, and "dripped" blood onto the Queen's "bedclothes" (as reviewed in The Times on 29th September 1983). He was previously portrayed by Eddie Marsan in the Sky Arts film Walking the Dogs, in which Emma Thompson played Queen Elizabeth II and Russell Tovey played the footman. "It was harder to get out than get in, Fagan said of his exit. On . 21:24 EDT 19 Nov 2020. Over the years, Fagan has been charged with theft, assaulting a police officer, indecent exposure, and dealing drugs. He has stated that his wife. Michael Fagan does claim to have broken into Buckingham Palace twice, as shown on The Crown. In The Crown, Michael Fagan's local MP, 'Richard Hastings', sarcastically tells him to take up his grievances about Margaret Thatcher with the Queen. For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter! I was having a laugh to myself because there was one right next to it, so I tried another," he told The Independent. [16][17] The intrusion also inspired Trinidadian calypso singer Mighty Sparrow to write his ironic song "Phillip My Dear", very loosely based on the event. It wasn't his last time in court. Michael Fagan, 70, of north London, described the fifth episode of the new series of The Crown, which features his infamous break-in, as a 'complete fiction' and accused creator Peter Morgan of having his 'own agenda'. 2023 Cond Nast. "I went back because I thought 'that's naughty, that's naughty that I can walk round there'." The Queen thought Buckingham Palace prowler Michael Fagan was a 'drunk member of staff', her former protection officer has revealed. He told the Daily Mail: "[Peter Morgan's] got his own agenda. In another scene,Fagan breaks in again by smashing a window, before strolling through the palace and into the Queen's bedroom. I was waiting to be captured, he said during his trial for theft of the bottle of wine. And the second time, he did wander into the queens bedroom for 10 uninterrupted minutes until she was able to get help. Known for his high backswing, he was given the nickname "King of Swing". "She used a phone on the bedside table to call security but when nobody came she got out of bed." . He had two younger sisters, Marjorie and Elizabeth. Evidently assuming the alerts were a glitch, the police on watch turned the alarms back off. Among the men and women standing in line in the dole queue was Fagan, a painter and decorator who was destined to cause one of the worst royal security breaches in modern memory, when he broke into Buckingham Palace and entered the Queen's bedroom, carrying a piece of broken glass. Shes destroying the country, Fagan tells the Queen. She said, Just one minute, Ill get someone, swept past me and ran out of the room, her little bare feet running across the floor.". After Fagan opened the curtains in her bedroom at around 7:15 a.m., the Queen awoke and pressed the night alarm bell, but the night staff had gone off duty. Looming over her bed was a mysterious intruder, unkempt, barefooted, and slightly tipsy, who had wrenched back the canopy surrounding her bed with a bloody hand. "[I] walk past her bed and it looks too small to be the Queen. This content is imported from poll. All the essentials: top fashion stories, editors picks, and celebrity style. Michael Fagan, who broke into Buckingham Palace twice, is acquitted of burglary at the Old Bailey. Fagan, Michael Todd 64 Dec. 08, 1950 Sept. 05, 2015 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Michael Todd Fagan. Fagan's real break-in and encounter, however, unfolded quite differently. Keep in mind that almost the entire episode is a fictional account of Fagan's life and mindset. Security systems were not sufficiently improved, leaving the palace vulnerable to a second break-in. Mon 24 Sep 2012 02.30 EDT. What do I do? The show has come under fire for fictionalising history in a way that portrays senior royals including the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in a negative light. ', When the Queen tries to reach for the phone, Fagan pulls it from her hand and ask her to 'give him a minute. He broke an ashtray, managing to cut his hand. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The Home Secretary at the time, William Whitehall, told MPs in the Commons (on 12th July 1982) that human error and technical issues were to blame for the intrusion. Finally, the authorities arrived and removed Fagan from the premises. In interviews, Fagan denied reports from 1982 claiming that he and the monarch had a 10-minute chat. Fagan's real-life MP was John Grant, who actually brought up the subject of Fagan's break-in in the House of Commons (referred to as the "Grant Affair" by The Times' Frank Johnson) and seemingly asked for more information. Fagan famously managed to scale the Palace walls before. Mike died peacefully in the early morning hours of Sept. 5, 2015, at home surrounded by his loving and devoted family. [1] He viewed royal portraits and sat for some time on a throne. In an anteroom, Fagan broke a glass ashtray, cutting his hand. As the security guard bursts into the room, the Queen shakes his hand and tells him: 'I shall bear in mind what you've said.'. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. I didnt speak to the Queen. Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. The duty footman, Paul Whybrew, who had been walking the Queen's dogs, finally appeared, followed by two policemen, who removed Fagan. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. According to an August 2020 interview with The Sun, researchers from The Crown did not contact Fagan, who is lucky to be alive after recovering from both COVID-19 and a heart attack earlier this year. I drank it because I was waiting for someone to come. And, the second time around, someone certainly did. November 15, 2020 On July 9, 1982, at just around 7 a.m., Michael Fagan shimmied up a Buckingham Palace drainpipe all the way to a flat roof that was only a few feet away from the palace's main. The Queen tells her: 'He wasn't violent. Looming over her bed was a mysterious intruder, "unkempt, barefooted, and slightly tipsy," who had wrenched back the. Stephanie Linning For Mailonline The screen for King Charles' coronation anointing is revealed, Doctor slams Laurence Fox for 'spewing out biased views', Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Ukraine drone strike hits major fuel depot in port Sevastopol, Braverman: People crossing Channel are 'at odds with British values', Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, 'You motherf***ers don't understand': Bam Margera details 'turmoil', Nihal Arthanayake reveals racist abuse he experienced in Altrincham, Unseen footage of Meghan Markle during her teenage years, Moment large saltwater crocodile snatches pet dog off beach in QLD, Hundreds of Household Division members rehearse for coronation. "She went past me and ran out of the room, her little bare feet running across the floor," he told The Independent in 2012. Though The Crown depicts otherwise, Fagan was undetected. In the nearly four decades since breaking and entering at the palace, Fagan has been charged with a myriad of crimes, including assaulting a police officer, dealing heroin (for which he served four years in prison), and indecent exposure (a misunderstanding, he insists). Michael D. Pitman, Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio. Speaking to FEMAIL, he said: 'Hes got his own agenda. .css-lwn4i5{display:block;font-family:Neutra,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:-0.01rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;text-align:center;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-lwn4i5:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}35 Celebrity Relationships That Upset Fans, Celebrities You Didn't Know Had Famous Moms, 30 Celebrity Feuds That Were Never Resolved, Celebrity Couples from 50 Years You Forgot About, We Ranked Every Single Adam Sandler Movie, 34 'Bridgerton' Fun Facts to Fuel Your Obsession, Where Youve Seen the Cast of Bridgerton Before, A Look Back at Nearly Four Decades of 'Jeopardy! The comments below have not been moderated, By He attacked a Welsh police officer in 1984, and three years later, he was found guilty of indecent exposure. As she continued to wait, she was able to flag down a maid, who helped her steer Fagan into a nearby pantry with the promise of a cigarette. "I found rooms saying. When the police did not arrive within six minutes, she dialed again. ", "Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) Order 2007", "Intruder who broke into sleeping Queen's bedroom reacts to her death", "Walking The Dogs Sky Arts Comedy Drama", "The Crown, magic mushrooms and the truth behind Michael Fagan's palace break-in", "The Crown season 4: Palace intruder Michael Fagan 'wasn't consulted' over incident depiction", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Fagan_(intruder)&oldid=1145125531, This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 12:14. In the summer of 1982, Michael Fagan managed to break into Buckingham Palace more than once, and even ended up in the Queen's bedroom and spoke to Her Majesty before being taken into custody. Here's what actually happened then and where Fagan ultimately ended up. I was high on mushrooms for a long, long time.". This content is imported from vimeo. He consequently served four years in prison. I didnt speak to the Queen. Photograph: R Brigden/Getty Images On July 9, 1982, Buckingham Palace faced one of its biggest security breaches in modern history. William John Fagan Jr.; son, Brandon Michael Fagan; wife, Misty, and their two children, Patrick and Jacob; and countless colleagues, friend and students who .
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