50 years ago today, on 20 March 1974, Princess Anne was to be kidnapped. However, the kidnapper had made the calculation without the determined and courageous daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.

The then 23-year-old princess was on her way home to Buckingham Palace from a charity film screening. She was accompanied by her then husband Captain Mark Phillips and a lady-in-waiting. The driver and a bodyguard were also in the car when gunman Ian Ball stopped the Princess’s vehicle on the Mall by bringing his own car to a halt in front of her and then opening fire.

He forced the driver and the Princess’s bodyguard out of the car and attempted to abduct the Queen’s daughter by telling her to get out of the car. Princess Anne replied: “Not bloody likely!”.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, she decided to escape with her husband through the opposite door. Together they left the car and made their way to safety. Meanwhile, her bodyguard tried to defuse the situation and a scuffle ensued in which the security guard was injured.

The incident lasted about ten minutes until the police arrived and arrested Ball. He was later charged with attempted murder and kidnapping and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Princess Anne later said she had been reluctant to follow Ball because she feared he might kill her.

The Princess is the hardest working member of the British Royal Family with 457 appointments in 2023 (source: The Telegraph). She is often described as determined, practical and unpretentious. She is also known for having a direct manner and expressing her opinions clearly.