A Bristol man who saved Princess Anne from an attempted kidnap said he was ‘absolutely blown away’ after the George Medal he received for bravery sold for three times more than expected.
Ronnie Russell was awarded the George Medal for his spontaneous gallantry in defending the life of Princess Anne during the attempt to kidnap her at gunpoint on The Mall in March 1974.
Last month, the former heavyweight boxer and happened to be passing the scene when Ian Ball tried to kidnap the princess.
He was awarded the George Medal by the Queen for his bravery, and said he never thought he’d sell it.
But after suffering from a number of strokes and reaching the age of 72, Mr Russell, who now lives in Bristol, said he was prepared to sell the medal to secure his financial future.
Auctioneers said they thought it would fetch around £15,000 - but at auction today, Wednesday, March 4, it was bought by an anonymous UK collector for £50,000.
“For something I thought that I would never sell, I never believed it would sell for this amount,” he said.
“I am absolutely blown away with this price and gives me opportunities to do things that I never thought we could,” he added.
The medal was sold in Mayfair at auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. Its associate director Oliver Pepys said it was a fitting value for such gallantry.
“Ronnie Russell displayed an outstanding act of gallantry, and it is fitting that his George Medal achieved such a fantastic price at today’s auction - a price that not only reflects the wonderful story of courage behind the medal, but also shows how strong the market for medals currently is,” he said.
Mr Russell was a 28-year-old married father of two who was an East End boxer and lived at the time in Strood in Kent, when he jumped out of his car and took on Ian Ball, who had already shot several people as he tried to get Princess Anne out of the back of her car.
Mr Russell took on Ian Ball with his fists, was fired upon and then stood shielding the Princess with his own body.
“I honestly thought that I was going to die,” he said. “But I didn’t care. I still believe that the life of a member of the Royal Family is much more important than mine. I just stood rigid and braced myself, waiting for the shot I expected to come and hit me in the back,” he added.
