PRINCESS Anne endured a harrowing experience when a crazed gunman attempted to kidnap the royal in 1974.

Her rescuer was Ronnie Russell, who rushed to help the princess get away from attacker Ian Ball and was awarded the George Medal for his unwavering bravery but later sold the prestigious piece for £50,000.

When was the Princess Anne kidnapping attempt?

Princess Anne was being driven along The Mall, central London, on March 20, 1974, when the brazen attack was carried out.

The Sun reported the following day: “A gunman, with pistol blazing, tried to kidnap Princess Anne near Buckingham Palace.

“He used a Ford Escort to force an official car carrying Anne and Captain Mark Phillips into the side of the road.

“Then he pumped six shots into the royal Austin car.”

The gunman, Ian Ball, had a “crazy plot” to “flee with Anne shackled to his leg” as part of his bid to demand a £3million ransom from the Queen, The Sun later reported.

How old was she when Ian Ball tried to kidnap her?

Princess Anne was only 23 years old when hero Russell came to her aid.

She had been returning to Buckingham Palace with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, after the couple had attended a charity event.

They were not injured during the late-night attack, and Russell recalls Ball trying to drag Princess Anne from her car while her new husband was pulling her back.

The former boxer said: “She was very, very together, telling him, ‘Just go away and don’t be such a silly man’.”

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How did Ronnie Russell help save her?

Russell, then aged 28, punched Ball twice in the head as he tried to kidnap the princess at gunpoint in Pall Mall.

He got out of his car to intervene when he saw the late night incident unfolding.

Russell said of the incident: “It was very fast-moving but it is as clear to me now as it was the day it happened.

“I punched him twice. The first time was when I got out of my vehicle and I thought it was a road rage incident.”

Russell was a 6ft 2in, 17-stone boxer who was then training at a club in East London, The Times reported.

He had been driving home to Kent when he spotted the drama unfolding, and immediately went to the Princess’s aid.

Russell used his fists to bash Ball, was fired upon, and then acted as her human shield.

He added: “I honestly thought that I was going to die. But I didn’t care.

“I still believe that the life of a member of the Royal Family is much more important than mine.

“I just stood rigid and braced myself, waiting for the shot I expected to come and hit me in the back.”

Later, as a grateful Queen pinned the George Medal on him at Buckingham Palace, she said to Russell: “The medal is from the Queen, but I want to thank you as Anne’s mother.”

Was anyone shot by Ian Ball?

Four men were wounded when crazed Ball tried to carry out the first ever attempt to kidnap a member of the Royal Family.

Her protection officer, Inspector Jim Beaton, was shot he stood between the attacker and the Princess.

e was shot twice more but survived after his Walther PPK pistol jammed.

Anne’s chauffeur Alex Callender, PC Michael Hills, who was nearby, and former Sun news editor Brian McConnell were also shot.

They all recovered from their wounds.

The former boxer explained: “He shot (the policeman) and I went to hit him around the back of the head, and he turned and shot at me and it went through the windscreen of a taxi.

“He stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him.

“I hit him as hard as I could – if he had been a tree he would have fallen over – and he was flat on the floor face down.”

Newsman McConnell had jumped out of his taxi and demanded the gunman handed over his weapon, but was shot in the chest.

Ball was later sent to a psychiatric hospital by an Old Bailey judge.

Why did Ronnie Russell sell his medals?

Ronnie sold his medals in 2020 to a private collector receiving £50,000 – more than double its estimate.

He said at the time that he was “absolutely blown away” by the price which he wants to use to help pay for his funeral.

Unfortunately the hero has been suffering a number of health blows and stated the extra cash has allowed him fresh opportunities.