All rights reserved. Several weeks before Fagan was arrested at the royal residence, he actually broke into the palace using a similar method. 21:24 EDT 19 Nov 2020. The man who broke into the Queen's Buckingham Palace bedroom in 1982 has criticised Netflixfor 'having a pop at the Queen'. Stream Season 4 of The Crown on Netflix now. [6] He was charged with theft of the wine, but the charges were dropped when he was committed for psychiatric evaluation. What transpired between the Queen and Fagan has since gone down in history as one of the most dramatic royal security breaches on record. [5] The duty footman, Paul Whybrew, who had been walking the Queen's dogs, arrived, followed by two policemen on palace duty, who removed Fagan. And Michael Fagan said he thinks that Charles will be a good King who could heal the rift between rich and poor in this country. The Crown imagines what they might have said to one another. He grew up in a loving family in Norwalk and had . Fagan's. I was surprised I wasn't captured straight away," he told the court at a related hearing for burglary in 1982. [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. He walked through the sumptuous halls, encountered a storage room where baby gifts sent by the public to the expectant Princess of Wales were kept, shuffled through paperwork, and even drank half a bottle of Prince Charles wine, which proved to be an unexpected vintage. 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. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of almost 60 years, Pamela M. Fagan. Michael Fagan broke into the bedroom of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1982. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Thousands of people walk the halls of the royal residence every year for state events, receptions, and tours, not to mention the veritable army of staff that keeps the palace running and, of course, the royal family themselves. However, speaking in 2012, he said she left the room immediately to find security. "Immediately he became more affable and replied: 'Yes please, I'll have a scotch.'" The Queen phoned the palace switchboard twice for police, but none arrived. In 1997, Fagan, his wife, and their 20-year-old son were charged with conspiring to sell heroin. July 9, 1982 was not the first time that Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace. Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily. All of it is a complete fiction. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. With a shard of the broken ashtray in hand, he entered the Queens bedroom, opened the curtains surrounding her bed, and sat down on the foot of the bed. In the first anteroom to the Queens chambers, Fagan hatched a plan to slit his wrists in front of Her Majesty. 'The Crown': The True Story Behind Buckingham Palace's Michael Fagan He breaks into the queens bedroom because he wants her to know how people like him were left behind by the conservative, deregulated state. Photograph: R Brigden/Getty Images In 1997, Fagan (together with his wife and 20-year-old son) was imprisoned for four years for conspiring to supply heroin. As he sits on the bus driving past Buckingham Palace, he is inspired to break in by scaling a fence and entering the grounds. The first time was on June 7, 1982 after his wife had left him. Regina is Latin for "queen.". [14], The intrusion was adapted in 2012 for an episode of Sky Arts' Playhouse Presents series entitled "Walking the Dogs", a one-off British comedy drama featuring Emma Thompson as the Queen and Eddie Marsan as the intruder. and Michael Klein of Creative Artists Agency for broadcasting. Long obsessed with the Queen, Fagan made 12 trips to Buckingham Palace that summer, telling his mother he was visiting his girlfriend "Elizabeth Regina." Where is Michael Fagan now? "Nah! he scoffs at the notion of a long conversation with Her Majesty. He attended Compton Street School until the age of 16, when he left home. 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. Her wife is Kathryn Budig and they tied the knot on 4 October 2018. Fagan served four years. [1], Michael Fagan was born in Clerkenwell, London, on 8 August 1948,[2] the son of Ivy and Michael Fagan, Sr.[1] His father was a steel erector and a "champion" safe-breaker. , updated From the archive, 24 September 1982: Buckingham Palace intruder cleared The same police report reveals that Fagan was "carrying one piece of the broken ashtray, with which he has said that he intended to slash his wrists in the presence of Her Majesty. Michael Fagan: The Intruder Who Broke Into Buckingham Palace - Biography Tracy Chapman Buckingham Palace intruder Michael Fagan says he does not regret Fagan does exactly that, storming the palace to beg Her Majesty to save Britain from Thatcher. In 1972, he married his wife Christine, with whom he had four children. According to, well, Fagan himself: In a recent interview with The Telegraph, he recounted that they didnt converse for very long at all. How a Drunk Man Broke into Queen Elizabeth's Buckingham Palace - People He leaves his wife of 28 years, Vicki (Novia) Fagan of. After Fagan sits on the bed, the Queen wakes up with a start and demands that he 'get out'. "It was just a moment of madness. ', When the Queen tries to reach for the phone, Fagan pulls it from her hand and ask her to 'give him a minute. Nick Davies. In 1983, following his release, he put out a cover of "God Save the Queen" with the punk band The Bollocks Brothers. Looming over her bed was a mysterious intruder, "unkempt, barefooted, and slightly tipsy," who had wrenched back the. Photo: R. Brigden/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. He continued: 'Its a complete fiction, the bit about me and the Palace. When the police did not arrive within six minutes, she dialed again. 2023 Cond Nast. (At the time, trespassing was only a civil offense rather than a criminal one.) The real thing was almost certainly less heartbreaking. [2] An alarm sensor detected his movements, but police thought the alarm was faulty and silenced it. Fagan and the Queen's conversation is one of the most fascinating, layered exchanges in The Crown. Fagan's real break-in and encounter, however, unfolded quite differently. Her wife is a yoga instructor/teacher and author. Michael Fagan Today - True Story of the Palace Break In From - Esquire An Old Bailey jury heard yesterday how unemployed . THE CROWN season four depicts Michael Fagan's infamous Buckingham Palace break-in but what the Netflix drama does not show is that the Palace intruder was actually high on magic mushrooms at the time. before going to seek help. It was a big, big room with one little person in it. Hastings isn't the first character created especially for The Crown - the show also featured Churchill's fictional secretary in season one. .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux Open Up, The Spookiest Urban Legend in Every State, 'Succession' Showed It's Not Fun Ruling the World, Eight Shows to Watch After 'The Diplomat', The True Story Behind HBO's 'Love & Death', 'The Diplomat' Has Me Ready For More Keri Russell, The 'Black Mirror' Trailer Will Give You Anxiety. ", In the same interview (via The Independent), he said of the first break-in: "It was harder to get out than get in. 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. Fagan singing at a nightclub in Leicester Square. [10], Two years after entering Buckingham Palace, Fagan attacked a policeman at a caf in Fishguard, Wales, and was given a three-month suspended sentence. A fascinating episode, "Fagan" shows what happens when the rarefied royal world briefly intersects with dire working class realities in 1980s England. Ad Choices. A little over a month later, following an arrest and a brief stint in jail for stealing a car, Fagan returned to Buckingham Palace merely a day after being released on bail. he told The Mirror in 2019. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. [12] In 1997, he was imprisoned for four years after he, his wife and their 20-year-old son Arran were charged with conspiring to supply heroin.[1]. They had to take a broad creative license to make their point. Shortly thereafter, the Queens footman arrived; he served Fagan a glass of Famous Grouse scotch, assisting the Queen and her ragtag team in stalling Fagan until the police, at last, arrived to remove Fagan from the palace. Initial reports said he had sat on the edge of her bed; however, Fagan said in a 2012 interview that the Queen left the room immediately to seek security. I didnt speak to the Queen. After reaching the Queen's room, Fagan second-guessed himself. Who is Michael Fagan, the intruder who broke into Buckingham Palace He attacked a Welsh police officer in 1984, and three years later, he was found guilty of indecent exposure. An alarm sensor had detected him inside the palace, but police again thought the alarm was faulty and silenced it. His wife, Christine, had just left him, per The Independent. It was one of the most extraordinary moments of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, and one that is still unbelievable 40 years later. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Just two weeks later Michael. The .css-1me6ynq{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#125C68;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1me6ynq:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:#595959;}latest season of The Crown has incited an intense debate over its use of an "artistic license" a critique levied not by the royals themselves, but from Michael Fagan, the Buckingham Palace intruder depicted in the fifth episode. It was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears; I tried one throne and was like 'this one's too soft'. In Memory of Michael Fagan | News | coastalbreezenews.com He added: Sometimes you have to forsake accuracy, but you must never forsake truth.. Michael Fagan, 33, had seemingly done the impossible, breaking into Buckingham Palace and finding his way to the monarch's bedroom. The Buckingham Palace dust-up turned Fagan into an unlikely celebrity, rendering him a degree of infamy that he has seemingly relished. The incident had happened as the armed police officer outside the royal bedroom came off duty before his replacement arrived. In September of 1982, he was charged with stealing a bottle of Prince Charles's wine from among a collection of gifts sent by the public in anticipation of the birth of Prince William. He attacked a Welsh police officer in 1984. 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. The intruder was 32-year-old Michael Fagan, an unemployed tradesman who had a bone to pick with Her Majesty.