US EditionPrincess Anne's Attempted Kidnapper Released From Broadmoor - Gloucestershire Live
GREATER LONDON, ENGLAND, AUG 1 – Ian Ball was detained under the Mental Health Act for 45 years after the 1974 attack and now disputes his conviction, claiming the kidnapping was staged and he is innocent.
- Ian Ball, now 77, attempted to kidnap Princess Anne in 1974, demanding £2 million during the incident while armed with two revolvers. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and kidnapping that year.
- Ball was released from Broadmoor Hospital in 2019 and has since self-published an autobiographical book titled 'To Kidnap A Princess', claiming innocence.
- In his book, Ball alleges that the kidnapping was a hoax and that another girl was substituted for Princess Anne. He maintains he was wrongfully jailed, blaming the upper classes and the late Queen.
- A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated that patients like Ball can be recalled to hospital if their mental health worsens and poses a risk to the public.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Princess Anne’s Attempted Kidnapper Claims He Is ‘Innocent’: ‘I Was More Scared Than She Was’
Ian Ball, who was released from a psychiatric hospital in 2019, maintains his innocence in a new interviewHulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty; Ian Ball; Princess AnneNEED TO KNOWIan Ball, the man who attempted to kidnap Princess Anne for ransom in 1974, claims he is an "innocent" man a new interview published in August 2025The kidnapping was meant to be a "hoax," with Ball claiming he believed there was no gunpowder in the bullets …
More than 50 years after his kidnapping attempt, Princess Anne's assailant is back on the loose! Ian Ball (77), who tried to kidnap the Queen's daughter with a gun in 1974, was secretly released from the High Security psychiatry in Broadmoor as early as 2019 and has since lived in freedom under conditions. Ball, who then shot four people down and pleaded guilty to murder three policemen, spent 45 years in psychiatric detention. Now, in an interv…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
