Hero bodyguard who saved Princess Anne from crazed gunman reveals he still has bullet lodged in his hand 50 years after he was shot three times trying to protect royal

For his heroic attempts to protect Princess Anne, Jim Beaton was awarded the George Cross.

But the more enduring souvenir from his brush with death 50 years ago today - when crazed gunman Ian Ball tried to kidnap the Princess Royal - is a fragment of bullet embedded in his hand.

Mr Beaton, 81, was an inspector in the Metropolitan Police and served as Anne's bodyguard for five years.

Ball ambushed Anne as she and her then husband Captain Mark Phillips were being driven down The Mall late at night. 

Mr Beaton was shot three times by Ball after his own gun jammed but escaped with his life when passing former boxer Ronnie Russell punched the gunman in the head.

Speaking today to mark the 50th anniversary of the kidnap attempt, Mr Beaton told the BBC how Ball 'shot me in the chest' and told of the 'bit of bullet' that is still in his right hand. 

For his heroic attempts to protect Princess Anne , Jim Beaton was awarded the George Cross. Above: Inspector Jim Beaton is visited in hospital by Princess Anne after being shot three times by Ian Ball 

He added: 'We got about three quarters of the way up the Mall and this white car pulled in front of us. 

'This chap Ian Ball, the driver of the white car, came back towards the royal car.

'I got out out of my seat, came up out behind the car. And he went bang bang and he shot me in the chest. I tried to fire back at him with my gun. 

'I missed the first shot and then the gun jammed.'

'Ball was pointing his gun at Princess Anne and he said "drop your gun or I'll shoot her", or something to that effect.

'He fired at the same time as my hand went up and the bullet went into my hand. We kicked the back door open and there was Ian Ball standing there and he shot me in the abdomen.

On the night of March 20, 1974, crazed gunman Ian Ball tried to kidnap Princess Anne

Ball used his Ford Escort car to force the limousine carrying Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips to stop as it was driving down The Mall. He then used a pistol to fire volleys of shots through the Austin Princess's windows, prompting Captain Phillips to shield his wife before he tried to bundle her out the other side of the car. Above: The aftermath of the kidnap attempt. Ball's car is seen blocking the path of the royal limousine

Mr Beaton told the BBC how Ball 'shot me in the chest' and has 'still got a bit of bullet' lodged in his hand. Above: Mr Beaton shows where the bullet fragment remains

A witness, named as Miss Sammy Scott, told the Daily Mail at the time: 'I could see Princess Anne and Mark huddled in the back of the car'

The kidnap attempt on Princess Anne took place at around 8.30pm on March 21, 1974. She and her husband, whom she had married the previous year, had been on their way back to Buckingham Palace after attending a charity film screening

Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips (left) and Queen Elizabeth with a group of guests including Inspector James Beaton (third from left), and former boxer Ronnie Russell (right) after they helped to foil the kidnap attempt 

Ball was finally stopped when he was bundled to the ground by officer Peter Edmonds after being punched in the head by passing former boxer Ronnie Russell (pictured), who had led Anne to safety

'I struggled out of the car, half-dazed obviously… went round the front of the car and laid down on the pavement.'

Ball had used his Ford Escort car to stop the limousine that was carrying the royal couple, along with Anne's lady-in-waiting Rowena Brassey.

Chauffer Alex Callender was at the wheel when the car was overtaken by Ball opposite Clarence House. 

When Ball told Anne he was going to kidnap her and ordered her to get out of the car, the princess is alleged to have replied, 'Not bloody likely!'

As well as wounding Mr Beaton, Ball also shot Mr Callender, passing police constable Michael Hills and journalist Brian McConnell, who had been following the couple before trying to intervene.

The passing former boxer Mr Russell, who won the George Medal for his bravery efforts, led the princess to safety before hitting the gunman twice in the head. 

When support arrived in the form of Detective Constable Peter Edmonds, Ball was finally arrested.

A witness, named as Miss Sammy Scott, told the Daily Mail at the time: 'I could see Princess Anne and Mark huddled in the back of the car.

'They were on the opposite side to the gunman. Suddenly, I saw a man fall down in front of me. He had been shot. He was covered in blood. He lay on the pavement.

'Another man, a detective I suppose, came running up. I said to him: "This man has been shot, why doesn't he go to hospital?"

'The detective looked at me for a moment and then said: "So have I". He opened his jacket and I could see blood pouring from his shoulder. Then he also collapsed.'

Thankfully, everyone who was injured recovered and were able to resume their careers.

Mr Beaton was visited by Princess Anne when he was in hospital. 

He said: 'When Princess Anne came to see me in hospital it was quite funny because the staff said "come on you must put something on, cover up your chest and all the wounds and things". 

'We just said, you know, pleased that we are all sort of still alive and kicking, so to speak.'

PC Hills was also handed the George Medal. 

Speaking in 1984 about the ordeal to chat show host Michael Parkinson, Anne said she had been 'scrupulously polite' to her attacker, because it would have been 'silly to be too rude at that stage'. 

Mr Beaton has previously highlighted how the quality of royal protection has improved drastically since Ball's attempt on Princess Anne.

He previously 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.'

Ball went on to plead guilty to attempted murder and kidnapping and is still imprisoned at Broadmoor Hospital under the Mental Health Act.

The excuses Ball made in his police interview were revealed after the Mail on Sunday won a seven-month Freedom of Information battle. They had only been due to be released in 2048.

The would-be kidnapper told police that he had believed Anne would be an easy target. 

He said he had learned of her movements by phoning the Buckingham Palace press office.

The bid to kidnap Princess Anne was the front page story in the Daily Mail the following day. A witness described the moment she saw DI Beaton collapse after being shot

He said: 'I had thought about it for years… She would have been the easiest. I have seen her riding with her husband.'

The files also revealed Ball showed no remorse for shooting three men.

He added: 'They were getting in my way so I had to shoot them. Well, the police, that's their job. They expect to be shot. I took a chance of getting shot so why shouldn't they?'

Ball had planned to take the Princess to a Central London property which he had rented under an alias. He was to demand a ransom of £3 million.

Detectives initially feared Ball was part of the IRA but he told officers: 'I have got no friends. I'm a loner. I put a lot of thought and work into it.

'I can't expect people like you to understand or accept that I did it and planned it alone. Do you think I am part of the IRA or something? If there had been anyone else they would have helped me at the scene.'

He also told police: 'I knew [Beaton] would be armed. If his gun had not jammed, I would be dead.'