If you’re a member of the Royal Family for tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the first attempt in modern times to kidnap a member of the Royal Family.

Princess Anne narrowly avoided kidnap while she was on her way back to Buckingham Palace.

Riding with her first husband Captain Mark Phillips, they had left a charity event and were returning to Buckingham Palace along Pall Mall, when a vehicle blocked their chauffeur-driven car.

Ian Ball drove his Ford Escort blocking the road, got out of the car and pulled out a handgun, shooting Princess Anne’s chauffeur and her security officer Jim Beaton.

Ron Russell, a 6ft 4in, ex-heavyweight boxer, suspected it was road rage, went over to see what was going on, realising that it was more serious, punched Ball in the back of the head and helped the Princess to safety.

PC Michael Hills arrived on the scene, as he called for backup was also shot by Ball. Finally, DC Peter Edmonds chased after Ball and he was arrested.

Ian Ball was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At his trial, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 41 years in the high-security psychiatric hospital, Broadmoor. He is still detained under the Mental Health Act at Broadmoor.

In 1936, George McMahon tried to assassinate the Queen’s father, King George VI as he rode his horse near Buckingham Palace. As McMahon was aiming with a revolver, a woman in the crowd grabbed his arm and a policeman punched him, causing the weapon to fly into the road and strike the monarch’s mount.

During the 1981 Trooping the Colour, Queen Elizabeth II rode down the mall on her 19-year-old steed, Burmese. Turning down Horseguards’ Parade, six shots rang out from the crowd. Although the shots were blanks, they startled the horse she remained remarkably stoic calming the startled steed with a couple of pats.

Constitution Hill really should be named Constitution Slope, as it barely rises along its thousand yards. The road might be short, but Queen Victoria had four assassination attempts upon her person. Edward Oxford, John Francis, and William Hamilton all shot at Queen Victoria in her carriage in 1840, 1842, and 1849, respectively. They all occurred very similarly, with each man firing at her carriage, failing to injure her or anyone else, and then getting swiftly captured and incarcerated afterwards.