An Unlikely Art Heist and a Scene-Stealing Turn: Why The Duke Is a True-Crime Gem on BBC iPlayer
While lead icons Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren anchor Roger Michell’s 2022 British comedy-drama The Duke, supporting player Anna Maxwell Martin delivers a memorable, sharp-edged turn that enriches one of the most eccentric true-crime tales in modern British history.
Now streaming on BBC iPlayer, the film dramatizes the singular 1961 theft of Francisco Goya’s Portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery—the only art theft in the institution’s history—blending political protest, working-class resilience, and family drama.
The Real-Life Robin Hood: The Theft of the Duke of Wellington
The plot centers on Kempton Bunton (Broadbent), a 60-year-old Newcastle pensioner, aspiring playwright, and disabled taxi driver:
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The Heist: In 1961, just 19 days after the British government purchased Goya’s Duke of Wellington portrait for £140,000 to keep it from being exported, the masterpiece vanished from the National Gallery.
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The “Ransom” Demands: Unlike conventional art thieves seeking illicit personal enrichment, Bunton sent ransom notes demanding that the government allocate equivalent funds toward care and free television licenses for elderly pensioners.
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The Surrender & Trial: After authorities initially dismissed the notes, the painting surfaced in 1965 inside a luggage locker at a Birmingham railway station. Bunton turned himself in six weeks later, turning his Old Bailey trial into a spirited defense of civil rights and social welfare before receiving a modest three-month sentence.
Anna Maxwell Martin’s Scene-Stealing Supporting Role
Beyond Broadbent’s eccentric charisma and Mirren’s grounded portrayal of his stoic, long-suffering wife Dorothy, Anna Maxwell Martin makes an outsized impression in a pivotal supporting role:
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Mrs. Gowling: Martin portrays the affluent, exacting employer whose home Dorothy cleans as a housekeeper.
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Class Contrast: Her performance highlights the socio-economic gulf separating the wealthy elite from working-class Newcastle households during the early 1960s, introducing sharp social satire and subtle friction without derailing the film’s warmth.
Key Cast & Ensemble
Directed by the late Roger Michell (Notting Hill), the production features an acclaimed ensemble:
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Jim Broadbent as Kempton Bunton
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Helen Mirren as Dorothy Bunton
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Anna Maxwell Martin as Mrs. Gowling
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Fionn Whitehead as Jackie Bunton
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Matthew Goode as defense barrister Jeremy Hutchinson QC
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Charlotte Spencer as Pammy
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Aimée Kelly as Irene
Further Viewing: Darker Drama Showcases for Anna Maxwell Martin
For viewers looking to explore the more dramatic and unsettling sides of Martin’s television portfolio, several standout series offer a contrast to The Duke:
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Midwinter of the Spirit (Netflix / ITVX): A three-part psychological thriller following Merrily Watkins, a widowed country vicar and newly appointed exorcist recruited by local police to consult on a grisly ritual murder.
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Unforgivable (BBC iPlayer): A hard-hitting BBC drama exploring intra-familial abuse and rehabilitation, featuring Martin as an ex-nun operating transitional housing for a recently released offender.
Availability
The Duke (2022) is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer for UK viewers.
