Fifty years on, the audacious kidnapping attempt on Princess Anne remains a significant chapter in royal history, highlighting the bravery of those who thwarted Ian Ball’s plan and led to increased security measures for the royal family.
On March 20, 1974, in a startling event on The Mall, London, Princess Anne was the target of a kidnapping attempt orchestrated by Ian Ball. Ball, armed and demanding a £3 million ransom for the princess’s release, intercepted Anne’s limousine as she was returning to Buckingham Palace. The assailant shot and wounded the princess’s bodyguard in his efforts to seize Anne.
Despite the perilous situation, Princess Anne notably resisted, reputedly rebuffing Ball with a defiant “Not bloody likely!” Amid the chaos, passerby Ronnie Russell, a former boxer, heroically intervened. Russell confronted Ball, enabling the princess and her lady-in-waiting to escape the threat. Ball was ultimately apprehended and sentenced to incarceration in a mental health facility for his criminal actions.
The attempt on her freedom led to heightened security protocols for the royal family, including strengthened protection for Princess Anne. The gallantry of individuals involved, such as Russell and the wounded bodyguard—who received the George Cross for bravery—has been recognized and commemorated. Fifty years since the incident, the courage and composure demonstrated by Princess Anne and those who came to her aid remain a notable moment in royal history.
