What happened to Ian Ball? The night that he attempted to kidnap Princess Anne in 1974 explained

It’s been almost 50 years since King Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, was almost kidnapped. The incident took place in March 1974 when she was being driven home after attending a charity event in the centre of London. The perpetrator, Ian Ball, had two guns in his possession as he attempted to kidnap the princess, who was then in her twenties, and several people were shot as they tried to protect her.

The events of that evening have been recreated in a new drama called Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal, which has been broadcast on Channel 4. But, what exactly happened that night, where is Ian Ball now and what happened to the people who were shot? Here’s everything you need to know.

What happened to Princess Anne during the kidnap attempt?

On the evening of 20 March 1974, Princess Anne, who was then aged 23, had been attending a charity film event in the City of London. She was being driven back to Buckingham Palace, which was just a 15 minute journey, along with Captain Mark Phillips, who was her husband at the time, and Rowena Brassey, her lady in waiting and her personal police protection officer, Inspector James Beaton

Ian Ball, who had spent three years planning his kidnap plot, had purchased two guns and hired a car in a false name ahead of the attack. He also rented a house a short distance from Princess Anne’s home in Sandhurst and hired a typewriter to write out a ransom note demanding a £2 million or £3 million ransom from the late Queen. The ransom amount varies according to different accounts of the incident.

Security was not the same at the time, and the then 26-year-old simply phoned Buckingham Palace to find out where Princess Anne was and then followed her car, which did not have police escorts. At 7.30pm the royal limousine, driven by her chauffeur Alex Callender, left the City. Ball, who was in a Ford Escort, followed it along Fleet Street and The Strand, across Trafalgar Square and down The Mall. When they reached the junction with Marlborough Road near St James’s Palace, less than 400 yards from Buckingham Palace, Ball accelerated and overtook the royal car, pulling up sharply in front and forcing Callender to stop the car.

Beaton and Callendar tried to defend Princess Anne, however Beaton’s own gun jammed and he was shot by Ball and Callendar was also shot. A journalist who happened to be nearby, Brian McConnell, also attempted to step in to protect the princess but he too was injured. Ball then spoke to Princess Anne and told her of his intention to kidnap her. In an interview with TV host Michael Parkinson in 1983, she said that couldn’t remember why he had told her he had to go with her. She added: “We had a fairly low key discussion about the fact I wasn’t going to go anywhere, and wouldn’t it be much better if he just went away and we’d all forget about it which was wishful thinking.” She also revealed that she “lost her rag” when her dress became torn during the incident, as Ball tried to pull her from the car.

Captain Phillips, who was with the princess throughout the interview admitted that he was “frightened” but said “somehow while we had a dialogue going it didn’t seem too bad.” The incident came to an end when former heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell, who was coincidentally driving past in his car, stopped and came to the couple’s aid.

Russell, who was then 28, punched Ball twice in the back of the head. Speaking about what happened that night, Russell said: “I went to hit him around the back of the head, and he turned and shot at me and it went through the windscreen of a taxi. He stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him. I hit him as hard as I could - if he had been a tree he would have fallen over - and he was flat on the floor face down," as reported by The Sun.

Shortly after this, police arrived on the scene PC Michael Hills was also shot by Ball. He had, however, managed to call for back-up- before he was hurt. There are some varying accounts of how Ball eventually came to be arrested. Russell said Ball did not get back up off the ground after he hit him, but son of Det Con Peter Edmonds who attended the scene, Ben, said he did get up and his dad then gave chase and tackled him to the ground.

Where is Ian Ball now?

Minutes after the attack, Ball was arrested by police who had arrived on the scene and he was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping. Ball was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was detained under the Mental Health Act in Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital. He is still detained there today. 

He went on a hunger strike in 2002, as reported in The Guardian, in protest against his continued detention. He allegedly claimed that he was a political prisoner and that would have been freed many years prior had his intended kidnap victim not been a member of the royal family. He is now 75-years-old.

What happened to the people Ian Ball injured?

All of the men that Ian Ball shot recovered from their injuries. In November the same year, they were all invited to Buckingham Palace by the late Queen to be given medals for their bravery. Beaton was awarded the George Cross, Edmonds was given the Queen’s Gallantry Medal, and McConnell, Russel and Hills were also given the George Medal. Russell sold his medal for £50,000 in March 2020 to pay for his funeral, according to The Sun.

Russell said that the Queen told him that “this medal thanks you as the Queen of England. I want to thank you as Anne’s mother”. He added:” And that’s when she put the medal on. And that was a touching moment for me then and still is now,” as reported by The Times.

How can I watch Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal?

You can watch Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal on Channel 4 on demand now.