Princess Anne was 'almost' kidnapped by Schizophrenia patient

Princess Anne witnessed a major car accident at the hands of a mentally ill person.

The Princess Royal was attacked outside Buckingham Palace in 1974 on her way back from a charity event with husband Mark Phillips when she was attacked by another car. She was also joined by Jim Beaton, her bodyguard,

Speaking to The Times in 2020, the bodyguard shared: "I thought it was somebody who wanted to be a pain in the neck… There was no hint of what was to happen."

In another police statement, the former chauffer continued: "I felt tired and very drunk, although I hadn’t been drinking. I just wanted to lie down."

He said: "I had nothing… There was no back-up vehicle. The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained."

Princess Anne survived the attack alongside her former partner.