Climbing up a drainpipe, drinking wine and bursting into the Queen’s bedroom: The escapades of Michael Fagan during TWO Buckingham Palace break-ins 42 years ago – but monarch was rescued by devoted footman
They were the largest security breaches in royal history.
In July 1982, schizophrenic Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace twice within a few days.
The first time he did this, he walked into the throne room and drank from a bottle of wine that was one of the gifts Prince Charles and Princess Diana received after the birth of Prince William.
He had gone unnoticed because the alarms he had set off had been turned off by clumsy police officers, and it was not until July 9, almost 42 years ago, that he returned.
After entering the Queen’s bedroom at around 7.15am, he spoke to Her Majesty for several minutes, reportedly while sitting on her bed.
She was saved by the arrival of her devoted footman Paul Whybrew.
Mr Whybrew, who served the Queen until her death in 2022, gave Fagan a glass of whisky to calm him down before police arrived.
Michael Fagan infamously broke into the Queen’s bedroom in July 1982 and woke her up, reportedly speaking to her for ten minutes
Early in the morning of July 9, 1982, Fagan broke into the palace and wandered into the Queen’s bedroom
Fagan first gained entry to the palace by climbing up a drainpipe and climbing in through an unlocked window on the roof.
He walked around for half an hour, eating cheese and crackers.
After viewing the royal portraits, entering the throne room, and drinking from the bottle of wine sent to Charles and Diana, he grew tired and left unseen.
A few nights later he came back. He got back in by climbing up a drainpipe.
Fagan first went into a front room, where he cut his hand after breaking a glass ashtray.
He then walked with a piece of the ashtray to the queen’s bedroom.
The Queen quickly pressed the alarm, but the police officer standing guard outside her room had already finished his shift.
Another alarm that Fagan had set off before entering the Queen’s bedroom was disabled by police, who again thought the alarm was faulty.
Mr Whybrew, only 20 at the time, was out walking the dogs and her cleaning lady was cleaning in another room, so no one came.
The Queen was rescued from her predicament with Fagan by the arrival of her devoted footman Paul Whybrew, who became famous for his appearance alongside the Queen and Daniel Craig in the sketch filmed for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
Fagan (pictured above around the time of his burglary and on the right in 2006) was later sent to a closed psychiatric facility for psychiatric treatment in 1982
Michael Fagan was played by Tom Brooke in the fourth season of the Netflix series The Crown
Emma Thompson (above) played the Queen in the 2012 TV drama ‘Walking the Dogs’
A sketch of Fagan speaking to the Queen in her bedroom on the morning of July 9, 1982
It is said that the Queen continued to talk to Fagan to keep him calm, while she waited for someone to come to her aid.
When a servant girl returned, the two escorted him to a storeroom.
Mr Whybrew came back from walking the dogs and came across the situation. Fagan is said to have said to him: ‘I want to talk to the Queen, my Queen.’
The footman said, ‘Very well, but let her get dressed first.’
Fagan then allegedly attempted to walk past the footman, but Mr Whybrew stood in his way.
He then offered him a drink to calm him down. Mr Whybrew said in his statement to police at the time: ‘The man still seemed very tense and I said, “Would you like a drink?”
‘He immediately became more friendly and replied, “Yes, please. I’d like a whisky.”
After giving him a glass of whiskey, a police officer arrived and Fagan was arrested.
When asked his name, he replied to the officers: ‘Rudolph Hess from Spandau.’
The then Home Secretary, Willie Whitelaw, offered his resignation after the massive security incidents, but Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher refused to accept it.
Fagan was not charged for entering the Queen’s bedroom as this was a civil offence at the time, not a criminal offence.
However, he was charged with stealing the wine during his first visit, but was acquitted at a trial at the Old Bailey.
The jury decided that he had not entered the palace with dishonest intent. He had maintained that he had drunk the wine because he was thirsty.
Fagan also offered his “sincere apologies” to the Queen.
He said through his lawyer: ‘Like everyone in the world, I love Her Majesty The Queen, I have the deepest respect, the deepest regard for her.
“I wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her. I know she likes to help people and I thought she would want to help me too.
‘Your Majesty, please forgive my invasion of your privacy. I did not expect this to become a world topic.
‘I only wanted to discuss my personal problems, but the manner in which I did so has embarrassed Your Majesty’s family.
“You were so understanding towards me and I know you will understand that this apology was written in all sincerity.”
Mr Whybrew came to public attention when he appeared on film with his boss and Daniel Craig for a sketch shown during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Fagan was later sent to a closed psychiatric institution for psychiatric treatment in 1982 after confessing in court to stealing a car without the owner’s permission.
The Daily Mail’s coverage of Fagan’s break-in and the security blunders that made it possible
He was released in January 1983. In 1984 he attacked a police officer in a pub in Fishguard, Wales, and was given a three-month suspended sentence.
Fagan was found guilty of indecent exposure in 1987 after a female motorist spotted him running around a wasteland in Chingford, Essex, without his trousers on.
In 1997, Fagan, his wife and their son Arran were charged with conspiracy to supply heroin. He was jailed for four years.
He claimed in a 2012 interview that the Queen wore a nightgown with “Liberty prints” that “reached her knees”.
Speaking to the IndependentHe also denied the claim that the Queen kept him talking to keep him calm.
“No! She walked past me and ran out of the room, her little bare feet running across the floor,” he said.
He added that Her Majesty’s accent was “like the most beautiful glass you can imagine breaking” when she reportedly said: “What are you doing here?!”
Fagan (pictured in 1987) has a string of convictions to his name. He is now 75
Fagan’s burglary was depicted in the fourth season of The Crown. The criminal was portrayed by Tom Brooke as he spoke to Olivia Coleman’s Queen while sitting on her bed.
The story was also depicted in the 2012 drama Walking the Dogs, in which Eddie Marsan played Fagan and the Queen was played by Emma Thompson.
Fagan criticised Brooke’s portrayal, saying the star looked “too ugly” and had “no charisma”.
After the Queen’s death in September 2022, Fagan said he was “sad that she is gone”.
He said: ‘I have no plans to go to the funeral but I did go to church to light a candle for her and I hope it’s all over now.’
‘I think Charles will do a good job and take care of the planet. He will be very good at it.
‘There is also too much division between rich and poor in society and I think Charles can solve that.’