#Day of the Jackal

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The day Princess Anne was almost kidnapped on The Mall — 50 years on

On this day 50 years ago, 23-year-old Princess Anne found herself fighting off a gunman as her bodyguard and driver lay wounded beside her. Emma Loffhagen takes a deep dive into the disturbing day one of the most senior royals was almost kidnapped.

By Emma Loffhagen

20 March 2024

“Your daughter has been kidnapped. The following are conditions to be fulfilled for release.”

In March 1974, Ian Ball used a rented typewriter to haphazardly type a letter intended for the then-head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.

Ball, 26, a funeral home worker, demanded £3 million — to be paid in £5 notes — in exchange for the return of the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne.

After becoming fixated with the 23-year-old princess, he spent two years hatching an elaborate plan to kidnap her.

Today, March 20, marks the 50th anniversary of Ball’s kidnap attempt — one of the most bizarre and disturbing episodes in British royal history.

A “loner,” Ball had been inspired to hatch his elaborate kidnap plot by the novel Day of the Jackal.

He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the book’s hero, the contracted assassin the Jackal.

“He was a very strange man,” Ball’s neighbour later said. “The only time he ever went out was when he went down to the launderette or went out for some food.”

It was thought that he had developed a “fixation” on the royal, whipped up by the widespread and lavish coverage of her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips the previous year.

As part of his plan, Ball had moved from his run-down flat in Bayswater to a lush rented house in Fleet, Hampshire.

It was only a few miles from Sandhurst, where Anne lived with her then-husband Phillips.

After a quick phone call to the Buckingham Palace press office, Ball knew which engagements and events Anne attended each week.

He rented a car under the alias John Williams, stocking the boot with Valium tranquilisers and two pairs of handcuffs.

On the evening of 20 March 1974, Anne was travelling back to Buckingham Palace in an Austin Princess limousine.

She had attended a screening of Riding Towards Freedom, a documentary by the charity Riding for the Disabled.

Captain Phillips, her bodyguard James Beaton, and her lady-in-waiting Rowena Jane Brassey, were also in the car driven by royal chauffeur Alexander Callender.

At around 8pm, as the group drove up The Mall, a white Ford Escort swerved in front of the limousine, forcing Callender to stop.

Then a 31-year-old inspector, Beaton, who had been Anne’s bodyguard for a year, got out to investigate.

“I thought it was somebody who wanted to be a pain in the neck,” he later said. “There was no hint of what was to happen.”

Suddenly, a bearded man with light red hair jumped out of the vehicle and pulled out two handguns, smashing the passenger window with the butt of one.

Beaton had not even had the chance to pull out his weapon when he was shot in the shoulder.

He then attempted to fire back at Ball — but missed. Upon a second attempt, his gun — a Walther PPK — jammed.

Ball turned to the passenger door behind the driver’s seat and started shaking it. Anne was sat on the other side. “Open, or I’ll shoot!” he shouted.

As the princess and Captain Phillips desperately tried to hold the door closed, Anne’s lady-in-waiting crawled out of the door on the passenger side.

Beaton got back in the car, placing himself between the couple and their assailant.

Ball shot into the car, and Beaton’s hand deflected the bullet.

He shot the bodyguard a third time, hitting Beaton in the abdomen and causing him to fall from the vehicle.

“I felt tired and very drunk, although I hadn’t been drinking,” Beaton later told police. “I just wanted to lie down.”

Callender stepped out to confront the gunman, but Ball shot him in the chest and he fell back into the car.

Pulling the door open, Ball grabbed Anne’s forearm as her husband held on to her waist.

“Please, come out,” Ball reportedly told the princess. “You’ve got to come.”

As the pair struggled over Anne, her dress ripped, splitting down the back, which she later recalled prompted her to “lose her rag.”

But, rather than panic, she had what she described as a “very irritating conversation” with her potential kidnapper.

Unbelievably calm despite the commotion, Anne famously replied: “Not bloody likely!”

In an interview with the late television presenter Michael Parkinson, she recalled:

“He [the gunman] opened the door and we had a discussion about where — or where not — we were going to go.

“I said I didn’t think I wanted to go. I was scrupulously polite because I thought it would be silly to be too rude at that stage.”

A nearby tabloid journalist, Brian McConnell, arrived on the scene.

Recognising the limo’s insignia, he realised the commotion must have involved a royal family member.

“Don’t be silly, old boy,” he told Ball. “Put the gun down.”

Ball responded by shooting him too and McConnell collapsed bleeding onto the road.

A man named Ronnie Russell drove past at this point.

He was on his way home to Strood, Kent, from working as an area manager for a cleaning company in London.

In a stroke of incredible luck, Russell happened to be a former boxer. He had cut his cloth at the Repton Club in east London, an infamous venue sponsored by the notorious Kray twins.

Jumping out of the car, Russell punched Ball twice in the head before leading Anne and her lady-in-waiting away from the attacker.

He later explained that he “did not like bullies,” which prompted his decision to intervene.

Despite being injured, Ball still shot the first police officer to arrive on the scene, Constable Michael Hills, 22, before running off.

Detective Constable Peter Edmonds, who answered Constable Hills’ radio request for backup, chased Ball down The Mall and through St James’s Park before tackling him on the ground.

At Ball’s Old Bailey trial in May 1974, more details came to light about the plot.

Ball kept his head lowered for most of the proceedings, only uttering the word “guilty” to confirm the charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.

In his pocket, detectives had discovered the kidnap note addressed to the Queen, which demanded the £3 million ransom (the equivalent of £26 million today), a free pardon, and a plane to fly him to Switzerland.

He had planned to take the princess to a central London property he had rented under an alias.

In a police interview, Ball also said he believed Anne would be an easy target after ascertaining her whereabouts by phoning the Buckingham Palace press office.

“I had thought about it for years,” he said. “She would have been the easiest. I have seen her riding with her husband.”

Ball also showed no remorse for having shot three men on the night of the attempted kidnap.

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

He added: “I suppose I’ll be locked up for the rest of my life. I am only sorry I frightened Princess Anne. There is one good thing coming out of this: you will have to improve on her protection.”

Ball was diagnosed with schizophrenia following the trial and sentenced to a mental health facility under the Mental Health Act, “without limit or time."

He remains in the Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire to this day.

The facility has been home to a series of notorious criminals, including serial killer Peter Sutcliffe and London gangster Ronnie Kray.

Immediately after the attack, the royals ceased having only one protection officer.

When Anne visited Beaton in hospital, “she turned up with two policemen,” her bodyguard said. “From then on, that’s what it was.”

“I had nothing…There was no back-up vehicle,” Beaton told The Times separately.

“The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.”

Beaton continued to work for Anne for another five years — before the Queen employed him.

After Beaton’s weapon jammed, the type of guns used by bodyguards were also changed: “The Walthers were got rid of overnight.”

Beaton was honoured for his bravery, receiving the George Cross — the UK’s highest civilian honour for gallantry.

Russell also received the honour. In a 2006 interview, Russell recalled what Queen Elizabeth said as she presented his George Medal:

“The medal is from the Queen of England, the thank you is from Anne’s mother.”

[bespokeredmayne]

Jackal 101: Here’s the intel

Just as with any good thriller, details are rolling out slowly, deliberately — and intriguingly— on the Sky TV/Peacock 10-part series, The Day of the Jackal, slated for release late in 2024. Here’s what’s out there about the series, in which Eddie Redmayne both plays the lead as the cold-blooded political assassin and serves as an executive producer.

A few observations of our own:

•Filming has been seen largely in Hungary and Croatia, with a brief stop in London’s Camden Locks.

•Eddie has made references to learning some Spanish, and he was seen in Cadiz with members of the production team last April.

•Other prep apparently included him taking a course in stunt driving. Altogether, the stunt team is listed as having 14 members.

•The cast and crew, as unfolding on the Internet Movie Database, is vast. Among the other behind-the-scenes credits, we can see drone photography, prostheses (Jackal’s disguises?), dialect coaching, animal wrangling, an armorer (weaponry/ammo), military presence, and an intimacy coordinator (sexual content).

Share what you find interesting about the production, once you peruse these sources:

[acciohunks]

Very nice

[steampunkforever]

The Day of the Jackal is one of those triumphs of film that certainly isn't underrated (Ebert gave it 4 stars) but certainly underdiscussed in the context of modern cinema considering the sheer influence it's exerted on movies about assassinations that have come out since 1973.

The book it adapts to the screen was certainly influential enough to lend its name to a real life Communist triggerman, but the movie was also an example of some of the best filmmaking about covert actions of its time. It's put together like an intricate puzzle, and though we see the process for both assassin and law enforcement, it manages to maintain suspense throughout as to the question of if the Jackal would manage to snuff out real-life French president Charles de Gaulle.

Part of what grabbed me in watching it for the first time since early childhood (from this you can tell I was raised from birth to do this sort of film analysis, like some sort of genetic freak supersoldier focused only on talking about movies) was the two sides of the coin that are how data-driven the manhunt for The Jackal is in this film and how you could just do anything back then due in part to the lack of cameras, computers, and online surveillance networks.

There was no facial recognition software in 1962, and so this story about a fictional attempt on the president's life by a group of rogue veterans mad about Algeria required the same amount of data and passport checks as the same drama would if set in the modern day, yet was hindered by the manual intelligence gathering process.

What also struck me was how the framework for the surveillance state was already in place in 1962. Five Eyes countries might be watching your every move through your cell phone today, but they've been wanting to do this forever, to the point that even fictional thriller novels understood this decades before webcam was ever invented.

The detective work in the Day of the Jackal is not flashy. Neither is the movie itself, really. This movie came out in the same context as the French Connection and Bullitt, and yet it has a decidedly more measured tone and pace, closer to a European take on Ice Station Zebra minus the zany American plot. Yet watching this film each step towards the fictional attempt on de Gaulle's life is as measured and thought out as those of The Jackal. This movie deserves its place among the greats and in the catalog of must see films. Give it a watch if you have the chance.

[breakersmansh]

The gay scene in The Day of the Jackal (1973)

[heylittlebird]

Le Chacal

"It is cold at six-forty in the morning on a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.” ― Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal The Day of the Jackal is one of my favourite novels. I don't know if Forsyth is a 'cool' writer. Is too mainstream for cool literary people to reveal that they enjoy his novels. Maybe he is a conservative, liberal, leftist, rightist, communist, hippie... maybe he eats meat, beats women, worships Central African cows. When I was ten, I didn't know. No one told me what I should or shouldn't read. When I was ten, I didn't care. I wasn't for or against the OAS or De Gaulle or Algeria. All I knew was that Claude Lebel was closing in fast on Le Chacal and I loved every thrilling moment of it.

[proshippers-against-censorship]

"I WOULD RATHER FANTASIZE ABOUT RAPE THAN TELL A REAL LIFE PERSON TO HARM THEMSELF" says a lot when you break dni boundaries blatantly! because if you can't follow a single dni request who knows what else you're willing to try and bypass with real people you sick fuck

Don't care. You want somebody to not interact with you? Then block them instead of engaging with them. Curate your own experience. It's not my business whether my presence makes you uncomfortable or not. Welcome to the internet.

[blackbackedjackal]

[insert movie title]

[archiesoniconline]

Sonictober2023 Day 23! Theme: Time.

As a time traveler, Silver has had many adventures in the countless timelines of his world, all to make a better future. But can he even remember them all anymore, or if he was even the version of “him” that had them?

Art by @nebuleeart

[horsefigureoftheday]

[nightgarla]

SONINKAS ooh aah

yk what fuck you *humanifies ur little animal guys*

[cringetober day 25: gijinka !!!]

+ old ones i still like under da cut :3

last one isnt old i did it yesterday but same same

[bespokeredmayne]

Lots and lots and lots of Eddie

…if we’re to believe this Daily Mirror preview of Sky TV’s lineup for 2024 that has Eddie Redmayne’s “Day of the Jackal” series at 10 parts (as do some hints on IMDb).

No word yet on the actual release date of the global thriller, which co-stars Lashana Lynch, Ursula Corberó + Charles Dance:

“This contemporary reimagining of the iconic thriller stars Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal, an unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, and No Time to Die’s Lashana Lynch as Bianca, a tenacious MI6 agent in a relentless, global pursuit to catch him. The 10-part thriller is based on Frederick Forsyth’s seminal novel and its 1973 film adaptation.

“While remaining true to the DNA of the original, this new drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’ at the heart of the story, in a high octane, cinematic, globetrotting ‘cat and mouse’ thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time. The Day of the Jackal is written and adapted by Top Boy creator and writer Ronan Bennett, with award-winning Game of Thrones, Luther and Boardwalk Empire director Brian Kirk serving as lead director. The Day of the Jackal will premiere on Sky Atlantic.”

These photos, which appeared on Just Jared, show Eddie filming on location in Croatia.

[cartoonartistpng]

My attempt at the 31 Days Sonic challenge that happened a while back (only got to day 7 oops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Day 1: Look Alike (Young Shadow & Mephiles)

Day 2: Control (Young Silver)

Day 3: What If? (Super Shadow, Super Silver, & Dark Sonic)

Day 4: Superpower (Infinite)

Day 5: Communicate (Amy, Rouge, Silver, & Knuckles)

Day 6: Legend (Sonic, Chip, & Dark Gaia)

Day 7: Emotion (Sonic, Amy, Tails, & Knuckles)

[beatriz-lioness]

I have a headcanon that Infinite's trans ftm based on a inside joke with myself lol. Back when we had the first look at Sonic Forces game (and new characters), people started drawing Infinite without his mask before the official release... And I thought he was a girl 💀 just like how many players thought Tails was a girl too at first lmao

Anyway, little something I did for trans visibility day.

[eeriefeelingsat3amuwu]

In my Kagehina feels, so y’all are getting my headcanons

-they got together in their first year after Kageyama’s second crowning

-this happened in the most Kagehina way possible, where they were walking home together and Kageyama just says ‘I think I want to date you, dumbass’

-Hinata says ‘think I wanna date you too, asshole’ and that’s it, they’re dating now

-sure, the conversation following the confession is a bit more emotionaly charged and Kageyama thanks Hinata for the support, but there’s no more mention to the nature of their relationship

-they continue on in their relationship up to their third year

-no one notices

-this is because nothing changed. Sure, they are physicaly close, but they basicaly fell asleep on each others’ shoulders before this, it’s not like them holding hands is weird

-they don’t really enjoy kissing, because it’s just weird to do so

-until they find out about the horizontal tango in their third year

-this kinda expands their horizons, but they still dislike kissing in public without any followup, because they’re very competetive in everything, including bedroom activities

-Yamaguchi, Yachi and Tsukishima kinda think something is going on, but they’re never sure and it’s driving them insane

-anyone can ask ‘Hinata, is Kageyama your partner?’ And the answer will be ‘yes’ but the answer has been yes for three years now goddamit and surely the two of them couldn’t have been together for THAT long, right????

-their touches border platonic and romantic, but they never really cared about the distinctions, so who even KNOWS

-they spend a shitton of time together, but that’s NORMAL, stil

-chaos in the gc. Their senpais get in on this and it’s a whole bet going on

-Brazil time. Why should they ‘take a break’? Nah, they’re fine, long distance is no problem for either of them as long as they get to talk to each other weekly

-Oh sure, they miss the physical aspects of their relationship, but the way they feel about each other hasn’t changed at all and they both know Hinata is doing this for the both of them

-that being said, when Hinata gets back from Brazil, Kageyama is the one to go pick him up and then doesn’t show up at practice for two days straight because they keep each other ‘occupied’

-they both also cry when they meet at the airport. The only lucky thing is that this was at two in the morning on a Tuesday and Hinata was nowhere near as popular as after his MSBY debut, otherwise Kageyama would’ve probably been followed by at least three journalists and their ‘Welcome home’ kiss would’ve ended up plastered on every single sports magazíne cover the next morning

-as soon as they settle into their new routine, the ‘when will they get together/are they together yet’ game starts on a bigger scale, now including their V-League teammates

-Kageyama comes to practice bruised up? The bruises look natural and could be from a number of other activities he regularly does

-Hinata has scratches on his arms? It’s a well known fact that he’s very fond of cats and has been seen petting a stray one just the day before

-both of them drop out of practice on the same day and are seen together? Turns out Hinata’s sister came to visit and she just LOVES Tobio, really, how could you deny the Hinata smile™️ anything?

-they call each other by their first names? Oh, they’ve known each other for AGES

-they share an apartment sometimes? Tokyo is EXPENSIVE and Tobio lives so close to the Adlers gym, why waste an opportunity to play volleyball together?

-funny thing is that they’re not even the ones comming up with the excuses, it’s just the two sides of the bet arguing over the possibility of their win

-and along comes Japan national team

-they win their first gold together

-and kiss on the olympic court

-afterwards, both of them look so giddy and shocked that EVERYONE assumes they must’ve just gotten together. And really, that has always been the more popular assumption, because the two of them can be DENSE

-read a really funny fic where Kageyama was doing a press conference and he was asked who his favourite spiker he ever played with was and instead of saying someone from his current team, he just said Hinata (they do this constantly)

-so it’s not that big of a surprise. Money is payed out to the assumed winners, there’s a general sense of great ease and everyone congratulates the two of them

-they seem confused about the congratulations, but then again, it has been a very emotional day for the both of them

-well, there’s an afterparty for the national team

-Kageyama and Hinata sit next to each other on one of the couches and the team is huddled around them and everyone is just having a good time

-and then Hinata turns to Kageyama and says ‘Hey, let’s just get married after the games end’

-the party grows quiet

-Kageyama’s response? ‘Oh, sure, works with me’

-you could hear a pin drop

-and the two of them just try to continue on with the conversation that the question interupted

-then Bokuto, bless his heart, and Ushijima, no social awareness extraordinare, congratulate them on their engagement, to which Kagehina smile and thank them and then try to pull them into the conversation

-Atsumu is the one to speak up next

-‘um. Shouyo-kun, I don’t want to be mean or anything. But uh. Don’t you think it would be better to wait with the engagement a bit? I mean, I know you two have known each other for years and all, but then again, you just got together. Wouldn’t it be better to think this through a bit more?’

-…

-Hinata and Kageyama look at each other

-wide eyes, they mouth Atsumu’s sentence back to each other

-then Hinata bursts out into laughter and burries his face in Kageyama’s shirt

-Kageyama snorts and gets redder than the Japan jersey

-everyone else is confused as fuck, that is until Hinata manages to get his breath back

-‘We’ve- uh, hah, we have been together since the first year of highschool, ‘Tsumu- Tobio- To- Tobio. Fuck- we never fucking told anyone’s have we?’ more laughter

-this time it’s Kageyama who loses it and hides his face in Hinata’s shoulder

-‘No, no we did not-‘

-que everyone else losing their shit

-that night causes more chaos in the V-League comunity than anything else in the past decade in the least

-next morning, after a LOT of phonecalls, a post appears on all of Ninja Shouyo’s social media accounts, with only a ‘We’re here’ and a photo of Kagehina, with their olympic jerseys on and showing off their gold medals

-and under all of these, the first comment is always from the underused, almost empty accounts of one Kageyama Tobio, stating ‘can’t wait to marry you’

[mcsalturn]

Something something comfort characters redraw.