A former royal aide has revealed that security officials checked the cells at Slough Magistrates' Court before Princess Anne appeared there in 2002, in case she was jailed over a dog attack incident.
Recalling the Court Case
Ailsa Anderson, who served as Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, made the disclosure while speaking to The Sun's Royal Exclusive host Matt Wilkinson and royal journalist Phil Dampier. She recounted the preparations surrounding the case, in which Princess Anne pleaded guilty to an offence involving her English bull terrier, Dotty, which had attacked two children.
Anderson said: "I was there in Slough Magistrates' Court. She lost control of her dogs. She pleaded guilty." She then revealed: "Yeah. Again, we had to recce the courts beforehand and look at the jails downstairs just in case they pushed her down."
Checking the Cells
When asked if they had to check the cells, Anderson confirmed: "Yes, just in case she was sent down." She explained that officials needed to know what was inside the cells and who might be there. When asked if there were criminals downstairs, she said: "There were a few."
Asked whether the cells were suitable for a member of the royal family, she replied: "They were basic, Matt. They were basic. Not quite what she was used to, right? But she didn't have to go to any of these cells."
The Outcome
Princess Anne avoided prison and was fined £500, ordered to pay £500 in compensation, and £148 in court costs. Dotty had to be kept on a lead in public and undergo training. The case was significant as it marked the first time a senior member of the Royal Family had been convicted of a criminal offence. No other senior royal had attended court for around a century.
The case against Anne's husband, Commodore Tim Laurence, was dropped shortly after the hearing began. The punishment was criticised by members of the victims' families, who were angry that Dotty was not ordered to be put down. District Judge Penelope Hewitt said the couple were experienced dog owners but warned that another incident could result in the animal being destroyed.
Despite the preparations, Anderson confirmed that Princess Anne never actually saw the cells herself. When asked if she went to look at them, Anderson replied: "No. No."
