An Audacious Heist at the National Gallery

Please note that this episode contains spoilers from the film ‘The Duke’.Kempton Bunton was a taxi driver who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first and remains the only, theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton proceeded to send ransom notes declaring that he would only return the painting on the condition that the government invest more in care for the elderly, specifically bringing attention to his long-running campaign for pensioners to receive free television.With Dan currently away in Antarctica, Matt Lewis, from the ‘Gone Medieval’ podcast, stepped in to make sure that you did not miss out on this caper that details the theft and the following trial. Matt is joined by Kempton Bunton's grandson, Chris, for a discussion of ‘The Duke’ and the remarkable true story behind the film.‘The Duke’ is in UK cinemas from 25th February.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.