Royal Kidnapping That Turned Into A Bloody Showdown

These days,the media seldom talks about the royal kidnapping attempt of Princess Anne. Instead, think news about Harry and Meghan and their alleged rift with Prince William: not to mention Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. But, true crime also touches the lives of the royals from time to time, and some historical stories make for riveting reading.

A Nightmare News Flash

Nobody was thinking about garden parties and tiaras back in 1974. At the time, Princess Anne stared down the barrel of a gun. It was a .22 pistol, quite capable of taking her life. Incredibly, it all went down very close to Buckingham Palace one cold night in March.

Anne and her then-husband, Mark Phillips took an easy route home, when suddenly, a white Ford Escort screeched to a halt, blocking their vehicle. And, out jumped a man who later became famous for all the wrong reasons. His name? Ian Ball, with a serious mission and two guns. Notably, the couple had only been married for about four months.

A Violent & Bloody Scene 

For Ball, it wasn’t about five minutes of fame and he didn’t just wave his gun around as some sort of protest. Did you know that he used his gun to good effect? In minutes, James Beaton, Princess Anne’s bodyguard ended up shot. So too, were her driver, Alex Callender, and a journalist, Brian McConnell who, passing by, tried helping, and got a bullet for his efforts.

Fortunately, all three of them survived the true crime, but James Beaton seemed beyond dedicated. He ended up with three bullets in him. Despite his gun jamming, he still protected the princess.

Later, his bravery and dedication were recognized by being awarded the George Cross for bravery, per Tatler.

Chaos In The Streets of London.

Actually, in a terrifying moment, Ball eventually got the car door open. Next, he grabbed Princess Anne by her arm, and tried pulling her out of the back seat. Basically, he wanted a hostage in demand for cash: like two million pounds! So, he told her that she should go with him, or presumably face the consequences.

In fact, he even prepared a ransom note. Apparently, he seemed rather pedantic as well, as the note demanded the payment in 5 pound notes. Additionally, he wanted it packed into twenty suitcases.

Bizarre Demands About The Queen

Not satisfied with that, Ball also wanted Queen Elizabeth to show up for the delivery. And, he didn’t just want the monarch to show her face either.

The true crime story goes that he wanted her across in Switzerland. Together, he demanded, she could help verify the amount of cash and that it was real. Plus, he prepared a “contract” that he wanted her to sign.

Careful Planning

Ian Ball didn’t rush into his attempted kidnapping. Instead, he planned carefully, and rented a place in Fleet, Hampshire under a fake name, Anthony Stewart. Notably, it wasn’t far from Sandhurst where Major Phillips and Anne lived. For some time, he staked out the area. 

Clearly, the plan involved a long waiting game, and potentially a long standoff. Everything was ready, and the royal kidnapping could have worked. However, it’s not clear whether Queen Elizabeth would have flown to Switzerland with him. Nevertheless, he simply wasn’t ready for Princess Anne.

Famous Three Words

When royal family followers talk about Anne these days, they use words like “dedication,” “determination,” “poise,” and “grit.” Well, she sure has a lot of grit. Most people might have been hysterical, terrified, or even frozen with shock. But not the Princess Royal! Certainly, she seemed different from the average person under her royal title.

Famously, to this day, her words ring out. While, she was being forced from the car, as he wanted to get her into his getaway car, the sister of now-King Charles looked him in the eye and famously said:

Not bloody likely!

Then, she added, “I haven’t got £2m.”

In fact, he never did get her out of the car, and she kept on talking in a “back and forth” way. She didn’t scream at the sight of people bleeding nearby. And while he was distracted, a passerby, Ronnie Russell saw what was going on. A former boxer, he did what needed, and without hesitation bashed Ball with two solid punches. And that simple act ended the royal kidnapping crisis.

Russell also won an award, and Queen Elizabeth thanked him for the life of her daughter, as a mother, not as a monarch. As for Princess Anne, she complained that Ball tore her dress. And then, she returned to her royal duties with minimal fuss. As for Ball, he ended up in the Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.

Ball Wrote A Book

These days, Ball’s no longer confined, but since 2019, lives under strict supervision. In his defense, he claimed he didn’t think the bullets would hurt anyone and that Anne wasn’t the real princess, simply a lookalike. In fact, he wrote a book titled To Kidnap A Princess and it’s available on Amazon.

While the royal kidnapping was a true life stunning story about the grit and bravery of the driver, the bodyguard, the boxer, and the journalist, the bravest of all was Princess Anne. Later, her dad, Prince Philip quipped that the kidnapper would have had a “hell of a time with Anne while in captivity.”

Sadly though, the entire incident was a massive wake up call for royal family security. And that explains why they have armed guards these days. Does that make Prince Harry’s demands a bit more understandable?

What are your thoughts about the royal kidnapping attempt? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your royal family crime and history news.