Police have today been carefully checking the Royal car which was attacked last night. Ian Ball made what was the first ever Royal kidnapper attempt, a bizarre ransom note for delivered to the Queen, which asked for £3 million.

I've still got a bit of bullet lodged in my hand. In fact, it's just about there somewhere. My name is Jim Beaton, and I was the protection officer for Princess Anne for a five years in the Metropolitan Police. Thursday, the 20th of March, we got about three quarters away 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 of my seat, came up out behind the car, and he went bang, bang, and 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 saying, And he said, You drop your gun or I'll shoot, 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, and he shot me in the abdomen. I struggled out of the car, half dazed, obviously. Went around the front of the car and laid down on the pavement.

Although shot three times by ball, he managed to go on struggling to defend Princess Anne until other officers overpowered the defendant.

When Princess Anne came to see me in hospital, it was quite funny because the staff said, go on, you must put some cover up your chest and all the wounds and things, and I still stuff it. But you said it pleased that we're all still alive and kicking, so to speak.

What was going through your mind when all this was happening.

It was all very quick, of course. Probably, I wanted to get him. Ian Ball, initially, he seemed normal, and then it was only when my colleagues and the police dug a bit deeper and saw what it was, that they realized that he was mentally unstable.

For outstanding bravery, Police Inspector James Beaton received the George Cross.

I think Princess Anne reacted exceptionally well. She was cool calm and collected. Although obviously, I'm sure she was worried to death. As I say, it wouldn't have been much good sitting and brooding about it. In fact, it was so unbelievable. One doesn't really believe it happened. At that time, training courses were nil. You just shoved in and off you go. Nowadays, it's very different, of course. It's selected, they're interviewed, and tested, and everything else. After this incident with Princess Anne, yes, the Royal protection changed drastically, really. Slightly better guns, better ammunition, more courses, more training, more people. Suddenly all appeared, literally within days. It really is a different world altogether. Very different from when I started..