Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal, on BritBox

In 1974, the UK allocated shockingly few resources to Royal protection. They got a whole lot more than they paid for on the fateful day of March 20^th when a lone wolf tried to abduct Princess Anne. The men who foiled the brazen attack relive their courageous actions in Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal, directed by Laurence Turnbull, which premieres tomorrow on BritBox.

There have been other documentaries and news specials on Ian Ball’s unlikely scheme, but this one is particularly proud of the scale model it commissioned. It certainly took Chief Superintendent Jim Beaton back to the scene of the crime. At the time, the junior inspector was Princess Anne’s protection officer—her only protection officer, armed solely with a small Walther PPK that jammed as soon as he started firing. There was no escort and no back-up to help Beaton once Ball pulled in front of the Princess’s Rolls. If you are wondering how Ball knew where she would be, he simply called Buckingham Palace and they told him.

Beaton took three bullets protecting the Princess. Ball also shot the chauffeur, another policeman responding to the noise, and a very drunk journalist who also rushed to the aid of Royal Rolls. However, Ball finally met his match when Ronnie Russell, a former boxer who trained at a club sponsored by the Krays, arrived on the scene.

Although they are very different chaps, Beaton and Russell are admirable examples of the British character at its finest. The modest Beaton speaks with complete authority calmly explaining what went down and how, while Russell’s colorful commentary is highly entertaining. The scale model is all very nice, but Beaton and Russell are the real reasons to watch Plot to Kidnap a Royal.

From our post-9/11 perspective, it is almost inconceivable how lax Royal protection was in 1974. Following Ball’s abduction attempt, Royal security went under an extensive review, so they had much stronger protocols and procedures in place before the wave of IRA violence of the 1980s ignited. It is hypothetical musing, but imagine what could have happened without Ball. Neither Beaton, Russell, or any of the other witnesses or commentators engage in such speculation during Plot to Kidnap a Royal. (Obviously, that is my job.)

Regardless, the Royal family had a great deal of good luck that day. Turnbull and company briskly chronicle the incident and provide decent context, within an economical running time, clocking in under one hour. Indeed, this is exactly the sort of crazy story you would never believe in a novel, but happens to be accurate and factual. Recommended for fans of the Royals and true crime, Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal starts streaming tomorrow (12/28) on BritBox.