The person who attempted to kidnap Princess Anne at gunpoint just about 50 years in the past has published the royal’s actual response amid his claims that the ordeal was once a ‘hoax’ and that he’s ‘blameless’.
Ian Ball, who was once launched from a psychiatric clinic in 2019, is professing his innocence regardless of his plot to kidnap Princess Anne in 1974, in line with a brand new interview with the Day-to-day Mail.
Ian, now 77, was once 26 when he ambushed the Princess Royal on The Mall in March 1974. The person then shot 4 males who tried to return to the Princess’ support.
Talking to the Day-to-day Mail, Ian mentioned: “I am an blameless, sane guy as a result of I had excellent reason why to imagine the gunpowder were taken out of the bullets and some other lady were substituted for Princess Anne.”
Prior to now, Ian had said that he was once hoping to get a £2m ransom from the Queen, however now says the abduction was once a ‘hoax’ with a purpose to garner exposure for his memoir.
© Getty Photographs“The entire concept of appearing the hoax was once to get the exposure so I may just write my autobiography, and I anticipated to get £10,000 in royalties.”
Ian added that the Princess wasn’t ” throughout the ordeal, pronouncing: “I did not scare her. I used to be extra scared than she was once.”
Anne’s foiled kidnapping plot
Anne, then 23, were in her limousine, at the side of her husband Captain Phillips after attending a charity tournament when Ian, who were tailing the automobile, skidded in entrance and compelled it to prevent.
© Getty PhotographsThe person then held the passengers at gun level and, in an try to wrangle Anne out of her limousine, shot her bodyguard, chauffeur, a police officer, and a journalist.
When he demanded that the Princess move with him, she was once mentioned to have uttered her well-known, stoic line: “Now not bloody most probably.” Ian was once simplest subdued due to a passing retired heavyweight boxer, Ronnie Russell, who was once in a position to combat him to the bottom, bringing the terrifying ordeal to an finish.
© Getty PhotographsWhat took place to Anne’s kidnapper?
After being arrested, Ian pleaded to blame to fees of tried homicide, tried kidnap and wounding on the Outdated Bailey. He was once additionally detained with out point in time underneath the Psychological Well being Act, spending 45 years in Broadmoor and Rampton psychiatric hospitals however was once launched in 2019.
In 2023, Ian additionally launched an autobiography titled To Kidnap a Princess, which is described as recounting the “dramatic and exciting” tried kidnapping of Anne.
“The tale continues in an similarly dramatic and thrilling vein and main points the culprit’s (creator’s) eventful and turbulent 45 12 months keep in Rampton and Broadmoor,” the e-book’s description says.
© Getty PhotographsWhat has Princess Anne mentioned in regards to the tried kidnapping?
Anne, now 74, infrequently speaks in regards to the ordeal. However within the ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70, she shared her ideas at the terrifying enjoy.
She mentioned: “What’s fascinating is what you be mindful and the way you commit it to memory, as a result of despite the fact that I believed I remembered the whole lot that took place I’d by no means had been in a position to swear I may just be mindful in the suitable order. As a result of they have been like pictures, particular person snapshots. Very obviously.”
She added: “Unusually, I had idea it prior to that, ‘what would you do if…'”
Prince Philip additionally as soon as spoke to his daughter’s stoic disposition all over the ordeal, pronouncing: “If the person had succeeded in abducting Anne, she would have given him a hell of a time whilst in captivity.”
