The Queen was unharmed, although the intrusion sparked serious questions about palace security, especially when it emerged that her repeated attempts to summon help were ignored. Perhaps the most famous incident dates back to 1982 when a man named Michael Fagan, who was 31 at the time, climbed a wall of Buckingham Palace, crawled through an open window and made his way to the bedroom of Queen Elizabeth II, who was sleeping. While not common, intrusions into Royal palaces do occasionally happen. She was accompanied at Windsor by her son, Prince Charles, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen, 95, was celebrating Christmas at Windsor Castle after making the decision not to travel to Sandringham, her usual Christmas destination, because of the pandemic. The incredible story began at 6.45am on Friday July 9, 1982, when Michael scaled the 10ft. The man did not enter any buildings, officials have said. When did Michael Fagan break into Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham palace intruder full#
"Enquiries into the full circumstances of this incident are being progressed by Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations," the statement added. "The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment - he has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals," police said.
The royal family’s security may have seemed lax by American standards, The New York Times said, stating, “Traditionally, the royal family has preferred a minimum of security so as to limit the disruption to their lives and the barriers from the people.(CNN) - An armed 19-year-old man arrested Saturday morning for trespassing at Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II is staying for Christmas, has been detained by police under the Mental Health Act, London's Metropolitan Police said Sunday.Īccording to the statement, a crossbow was recovered following a search of the intruder. On June 19, 1981, three Germans made it into the gardens by climbing a wall, thinking they were going into Hyde Park on August 5, 1981, a 24-year-old man was found on the palace grounds and taken into psychiatric care and on June 17, 1982, a 25-year-old showed a knife to bypass two guards. Palace break-ins were not entirely uncommon, especially during that time. But ultimately it was the “inadequate” response to the Queen’s calls that truly posed the biggest risk, according to the Scotland Yards report. An alarm in the first Stamp Room also went unanswered. One officer had seen Fagan climbing the railings and passed along the message, but no action was taken. With a generally relaxed security protocol, palace break-ins were not uncommon.Ī complete investigation was launched, concluding that a failure in communication between police officers may have been the cause. Eventually, the police did show up and removed him from the palace.įagan remembers the incident differently, telling The Independent UK that as soon as the Queen saw him, “She went past me and ran out of the room her little bare feet running across the floor.” During this time, the footman returned from walking the dogs and helped occupy Fagan while the queen tended to her beloved corgis. While she continued to wait, the Queen was able to catch the eye of a maid - and two worked together to lead Fagan into a pantry by offering him a cigarette. Six minutes later, no help had arrived, so she called again. The police lodge received the call at 7:18 a.m. She then used the telephone by her bed, telling the palace’s telephonist to send police to her room. The Queen pushed her night alarm bell, but since it was after the night police’s shift and no one was in the corridor or the pantry where it rings, it went unanswered. Her nightie was one of those Liberty prints and it was down to her knees.” Decades later, he told The Independent UK, “It was a double bed but a single room, definitely – she was sleeping in there on her own. With a piece of the broken ashtray in his hand, Fagan entered Her Majesty’s bedroom and opened the curtains of her bed.
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