Weighing in on the series' depiction of his 1982 incident, Michael Fagan denies that a conversation between him and and Queen Elizabeth II about Margaret Thatcher's harsh policies took place.
- Nov 10, 2020
AceShowbiz - Buckingham Palace intruder Michael Fagan has accused "The Crown" writers of using "a lot of artistic license" in their depiction of the 1982 incident.
The then-unemployed painter and decorator broke into the London residence by climbing the railings of the grounds and finding his way through an open window. Fagan then made his way to Queen Elizabeth II's bedroom, where he and the monarch came face-to-face.
During the forthcoming fourth season of the Netflix royal drama, Fagan, played by Tom Brooke, is seen breaking into the Queen's bedroom before speaking to Olivia Colman's monarch about the harsh policies of the controversial Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher - played by Gillian Anderson.
However, Fagan himself has denied that events happened as they are depicted on the show, telling The Telegraph newspaper that, despite initial reports that up to a half-hour conversation had occurred between the intruder and the Queen, that wasn't the case.
He maintains that few words were exchanged, revealing, "I pulled back the curtain and she said, 'What are you doing here?' " at which point she spoke "normally" and not in a manner that one would expect, informing him, "I'll be back in a minute."
According to Fagan, she then ran from the room before footman Paul Whybrew appeared and offered him a drink of whiskey. The police then arrived to escort Fagan away.
He also told the paper that writer Peter Morgan did not consult him in regards to the script and its depiction of the events.
Season four of "The Crown" will follow the royals as the 1970s ends and Britain is divided by Thatcher's policies - with Prince Charles' romance with Lady Diana Spencer providing a welcome distraction for both the public, and the Queen, as she looks to her heir to secure the line of succession to the throne.
It debuts on Netflix on 15 November.
