Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Michael Fagan incident

Michael Fagan was the intruder who broke into Buckingham Palace and entered Queen Elizabeth II's bedchamber in the early hours of July 9, 1982. The unemployed Irish father of four children managed to evade electronic alarms, palace and police guards. Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Foot guards is a term used to describe elite infantry regiments. ... The security, as distinct from the ceremonial bodyguards or military protection, of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and of members of the British Royal Family is entrusted to the Metropolitan Police.

This actually had been his second successful attempt to break into Buckingham Palace. Upon his first attempt, he scaled a drainpipe, briefly startling a housemaid. She called security, but they decided not to act.

He entered through an unlocked window on the roof and spent the next half hour wandering around. He tripped several alarms, but they were faulty. He viewed the royal portraits and rested on the throne for awhile. He entered the Post Room, where he drank half a bottle of Californian white wine before becoming tired and left. This article is about the beverage.

On the second attempt, an alarm sensor actually had gone off upon detecting him. A worker in the Palace thought it had happened by accident, so he silenced the alarm, Fagan having gone unnoticed.

On his way to see the Queen, he had broken a glass ashtray, lacerating his hand. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... This article does not cite any references or sources.

The Queen woke when he disturbed a curtain after which he sat on the edge of her bed talking to her for about ten minutes; the Queen was only able to raise the alarm when he asked for a cigarette after giving her one. She calmly called for a footman who allegedly held the intruder until police arrived. The incident happened as the armed police officer outside the royal bedroom came off duty before his replacement arrived. He had been out walking the Queen's dogs. A footman is a male household servant.

The incident caused shock to all, as one unarmed man could manage not only to enter the Palace but even went as far as to see the Queen herself while she was asleep. However, the Queen's calm nature had become better noted. She was calm even upon seeing in her room a strange man with a bloodied hand, and remained calm while conversing with Fagan for about ten minutes.

Since it was then a civil wrong rather than a criminal offence, Michael Fagan was not charged for trespassing in the Queen's bedroom.

He was however charged with theft (of the half bottle of wine, value £3), but the charges were dropped when he was committed for psychiatric evaluation.

In 1994 aggravated trespass or the act of trespass with the intent to disrupt or obstruct a lawful activity became a criminal offence (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, section 68). “Unlawful entry” redirects here. ... The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was an act of parliament brought into law by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

In 1983 Michael Fagan recorded a version of the Sex Pistols song "God Save The Queen" with British band The Bollock Brothers.

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