FBI Releases File on Plot to Assassinate Queen Elizabeth II by Irish Sympathizers

"Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 on Thursday (8/9/2022). In this photo, Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowd during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant celebration at Buckingham Palace, London, on Sunday (5/6/2022). (AP PHOTO/FRANK AUGSTEIN)"

Introduction:

The FBI has recently made public a file detailing a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to California, United States, in 1983. The assassination threat emerged after a phone call from a man claiming that his daughter had been killed in Northern Ireland by a rubber bullet. According to FBI documents, the file also referenced a bar frequented by sympathizers of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Queen Elizabeth II's Visit to the United States

During February and March 1983, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the West Coast of the United States. The trip proceeded without any incidents. However, four years prior in 1979, an IRA paramilitary group opposed to British rule in Northern Ireland assassinated Louis Mountbatten, the last colonial governor of India and Prince Philip's uncle, in a bombing attack. The released file states that the individual planned to attack Queen Elizabeth II by dropping objects from the Golden Gate Bridge onto the royal yacht Britannia as it sailed beneath. Alternatively, the file indicated a potential plan to "kill Queen Elizabeth when she visits Yosemite National Park," as reported by the FBI, cited by AFP news agency.

Persistent Threats Against the British Monarchy

A separate file among the documents, dated 1989, revealed that while the FBI had no knowledge of specific threats against the queen, "the possibility of threats against the British monarchy always existed from the Irish Republican Army." Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96, had been reported as a target of assassination plots on multiple occasions.

Previous Attempts on Queen Elizabeth II's Life

In 1970, suspected IRA sympathizers unsuccessfully attempted to derail a train carrying the queen in western Sydney. In 1981, the IRA tried to bomb her during a visit to Shetland, off the northeast coast of Scotland. During the same year, a mentally disturbed teenager fired a shot at the queen's car while she was visiting New Zealand. Christopher Lewis, the teenager in question, fired a single shot as the queen toured Dunedin. This failed attempt was covered up by the police at the time and only came to light in 2018 when the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) released documents following media requests. Also in 1981, another teenager fired six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II during the Trooping the Colour parade in the center of London. The queen quickly calmed her startled horse and continued the procession, while the teenager told soldiers who disarmed him that he wanted to become famous. The following year, in one of the most famous security breaches during Queen Elizabeth II's reign, Michael Fagan managed to enter her bedroom and spoke to her for ten minutes before the queen was able to sound the alarm.

Conclusion:

One of the most notable incidents involved a unemployed decorator, Michael Fagan, who had consumed some alcohol and climbed the walls of Buckingham Palace. He scaled a drainpipe to gain entry into the queen's residence in London. Fagan walked into Queen Elizabeth II's bedroom and was reported to have sat at the edge of her bed, engaging in conversation with the restless queen. Eventually, palace staff persuaded Fagan to leave by promising him a glass of whiskey.