The Kidnapping of Princess Anne

The attacker shot three people whilst trying to abduct the Queen’s only daughter.

Photograph of Princess Anne from a television interview with Terry Wogan. Screenshot by Author.

It was on the 27th of March 1974, that seven men struggled to prevent a bloody kidnap attempt on the Queen’s only daughter. A male journalist, a former boxer, two chauffeurs, and three policemen all fought valiantly to foil the abduction. 3 of the men were shot (one of them three times), but it was the Princess herself who outwitted the violent, would-be kidnapper.

Later, police found two sets of handcuffs, tranquilizers, and a ransom letter addressed to the Queen in the criminal’s trunk. Ian Ball had typed a manifesto that criticized the royal family and demanded a £2 million cash ransom to be delivered by Queen Elizabeth II herself.

This is the full story of the kidnap attempt and includes the Princess’s own recollections of the event, which she remembers with her wonderfully typical British attitude and humor.

The kidnapper launches his attack

Photograph of Princess Anne from a television interview with David Frost. Photo of the TV taken by the author.

It was around 8pm in the evening when the 23-year-old Princess and her new husband, Captain Philips were being chauffeured…