Princess Anne was in Canada at the time of the Fagan intrusion. She learned of it when her mother telephoned, as she did to all her closest relatives in case they should hear it on the radio. Anne hurried to her mother’s side, as soon as her public duties permitted. While the Queen put on her usual brave face, she was deeply affected by the Fagan incident and psychologically the memory of that night would take years to dim from her mind.
Princess Anne and the Queen have always been the closest a mother and daughter can be, except perhaps on those occasions when Anne has been in one of her moods. But now they became even closer. The Queen wanted Anne to be the one at her side, and apparently found difficulty in discussing it in any real detail with anyone other than her daughter. In the remaining few days before the Royals began their summer holidays, Anne gave up as much time as she could to stay with the Queen, and joined her as well at the family’s summer home at Balmoral. It was Anne’s presence that helped give the Queen her outwardly untroubled attitude.
Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne’s closeness following the Michael Fagan incident in 1982.
‘The Princess Royal’ by John Parker (1990)
