On March 20, 1974, an armed, lone gunman named Ian Ball attempted to kidnap Britain’s Princess Anne along The Mall near Buckingham Palace. The 23-year-old Princess Royal famously thwarted the abduction with her calm composure and the now-legendary response: “Not bloody likely!”
Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were returning from a charity film screening in a chauffeur-driven limousine. Ian Ball swerved his Ford Escort in front of their car, forcing it to stop. He immediately jumped out brandishing two pistols.
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| The windows of Anne’s Vanden Plas Princess were blown out during the gun fight between her bodyguard and her would-be kidnapper. |
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| Ian Ball’s Ford Escort, and the royal car close behind, at the scene of the attempted kidnap. |
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| Police search for evidence in flower beds by the Mall after the attempt to kidnap Princess Anne. |
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| Police found handcuffs and tranquilisers in Ian Ball’s possession. |
Ball intended to hold Princess Anne for a ransom of £2 million to £3 million. When he stormed the royal vehicle, several individuals courageously intervened, resulting in four people being shot and wounded: Inspector James Beaton, her personal police protection officer, who was shot three times trying to shield her; Alex Callender, the Princess’s chauffeur; Brian McConnell, a journalist who tried to intervene; Michael Hills, a police constable who approached the scene.
Ball tore open the limousine door and commanded Princess Anne to get out. Standing her ground, she absolutely refused to budge. While Ball tried to drag her out by her arm, she engaged him in a brief, calm argument to stall for time, eventually dodging backward out of the car when he pulled at her. A passerby and former heavyweight boxer, Ronald Russell, charged at Ball and struck him in the head. Russell then helped shield the Princess while police reinforcements arrived to tackle and arrest Ball.
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