Featured Image Credit: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Topics: Royal Family, Crime, UK News
Madison Burgess
Topics: Royal Family, Crime, UK News
The Royal Family were forced to make a major change to their security services after Princess Anne famously escaped a kidnapping attempt in the 70s.
For those who need a reminder, Ian Ball tried to abduct the Princess Royal, then 23, and her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace on March 20, 1974.
Ball had blocked the princess’ car with his own and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap her.
Anne and Captain Phillips were luckily unhurt during the late-night criminal ambush but Anne’s bodyguard, chauffeur, a police constable and a journalist were all shot by Ball, who was armed with two revolvers.
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The British princess amazingly kept her cool and when Ball, then 26, told her to 'come with me for a day or two' because he wanted £2 million, she replied: "Not bloody likely, and I haven’t got £2 million."
Anne's bodyguard, Jim Beaton, hadn't been able to draw his own weapon, a Walther PPK, before he was shot at, as per Tatler.
Then, dramatically, before the situation got worse, a retired heavyweight boxer called Ronnie Russell, who happened to be passing by, stopped to help and punched the assailant in the head.
Having survived the terrifying ordeal and saved the royal, he was awarded the George Medal for his incredible bravery.
Former Metropolitan police inspector Jim Beaton was also awarded the George Cross after being shot three times while protecting Anne.
Ball pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in May 1974 to charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnap and was detained without time limit under the Mental Health Act.
Discussing Anne, Ball said: “She wasn’t bothered on the night. I didn’t scare her. I was more scared than she was.”
And The Princess Royal, who is set to turn 75 this month, later said she was 'furious at this man who was having a tug of war with me' and for ripping her favourite blue velvet dress.
Understandably, the close call changed the way the Royal Family used security, almost overnight.
At the time, Beaton admitted: “I had nothing. There was no backup vehicle. The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.”
When Anne visited her bodyguard in hospital, where he was being treated after being shot, she was accompanied by two policemen.
Beaton told The Times that 'from then on, that’s what it was' and protocols were tightened for all senior members of the British Royal Family.
On top of this, he revealed that 'the Walthers were got rid of overnight' due to the jamming issue.
As reported by Royal Central, the Metropolitan Police Service undertook a full security review and the Royalty Protection Group (SO14) was 'expanded, professionalised, and militarised in its tactics'.
All royal bodyguards reportedly underwent close-quarters firearms training and another key overhaul was the introduction of team-based protection models, replacing single-officer assignments.
Vehicle protocol overhauls and improved intelligence coordination were also introduced in an attempt to tighten security.
Additionally, modern bodyguards are reportedly even being trained using a simulated version of Anne's attempted kidnapping in which a hostile actor uses a vehicle and small arms to ambush.