The day Princess Anne was almost kidnapped on The Mall — 50 years on
“Your daughter has been kidnapped. The following are conditions to be fulfilled for release.”
In March 1974, Ian Ball used a rented typewriter to haphazardly type a letter intended for the then-head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. Ball, 26, a funeral home worker, demanded £3 million — to be paid in £5 notes — in exchange for the return of the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne.
After becoming fixated with the 23-year-old princess, he spent two years hatching an elaborate plan to kidnap her.
Today (March 20) marks the 50th anniversary of Ball’s kidnap attempt — one of the most bizarre and disturbing episodes in British royal history.
Valium tranquilisers, handcuffs, and a ransom letter — the elaborate plot
A “loner”, Ball had been inspired to hatch his elaborate kidnap plot by the novel Day of the Jackal. He wanted to follow in
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