Man who tried to abduct Anne claims he is innocent

The gunman who attempted to kidnap the Princess Royal in 1974 has claimed he is innocent nearly six years after his release from a secure hospital, according to a report.

- SAM HALL

Ian Ball tried to abduct Anne and her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace on 20 March 1974. The princess kept her cool and when Ball, then 26, told her to “come with me for a day or two” because he wanted £2m, she replied “not bloody likely, and I haven't got £2m”.

The Daily Mail reported that Ball was released from Broadmoor Hospital on probation in 2019 and has subsequently self-published an autobiographical novel called To Kidnap A Princess.

In an interview with the newspaper, Ball, now 77, said: “I’m an innocent, sane man because I had good reason to believe the gunpowder had been taken out of the bullets and another girl had been substituted for Princess Anne.”

Discussing Anne, Ball said: “She wasn’t bothered on the night. I didn’t scare her. I was more scared than she was.”