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‘Father Brown’: S10.E06. “The Royal Visit”
Would you like to guess who visited Kembleford?
The royal visit to Kembleford is jeopardised when a school janitor is found murdered. Can Father Brown save the visit from being cancelled?
Father Brown, with a remarkable 110 episodes televised, is as fresh as the day it premiered. The period drama, loosely based on characters created by English writer G.K. Chesterton, is hugely popular amongst daytime viewers and BBC iPlayer subscribers.
The Royal Visit, directed by Paul Riordan from a teleplay penned by Mark Brotherhood, has villagers preparing for an important visitor to their small out-of-the-way community.
It turns out that, not long into the story, it is revealed Father Brown, Mrs. Isabel Devine, and Brenda Palmer played an instrumental role in raising the much needed funds for the new school library. Conversely, according to school headmistress Miss Amanda Clement, Mayor Anthony Wood contributed nothing from his own pocket. It is what it is. The greater good, unless it leads to lining their own pockets, doesn’t mean anything to some people. Mayor Wood, considering Miss Clement’s words, is clearly one of those people.
The new school library, to everyone’s dismay, is discovered vandalised. The library, for want of a better word is ransacked. It’s a real mess. The caretaker, Mr. Raymond Harrison, doesn’t show up. Miss Clement not pleased with the caretaker’s recent conduct, seeks him out. The headmistress, discovering Mr. Harrison drunk, is not amused. Very little amuses Miss Clement. The headmistress, regardless of public opinion, expresses her true thoughts.
Very few episodes unfold without someone being murdered. Riordan’s The Royal Visit, with much focus placed on the new school library, sees Mr. Harrison murdered. Who could have wanted the school caretaker dead? Could there be a vital clue in Mr. Harrison’s past?
Mr. Harrison, previously arrested and imprisoned, had a history of pickpocketing. Curiously, in the school caretaker’s possession, Mr. Harrison cared a locket containing a photograph of Miss Clement when she was a schoolgirl.
The caretaker, even though the Kembleford mayor doesn’t seem the type to take a life, owed Mayor Wood a significant amount of money. What would the mayor have to gain by killing the person that owes him money? Nothing.
Chief Inspector Edgar Sullivan, after the murder weapon is discovered in Miss Clement’s desk draw, arrests the headmistress. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would recognise the hammer had been planted. The only shred of evidence is Miss Clement’s fingerprints being on the hammer. Royal protection officer, Inspector Beckett, and Royal aide to Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Barnes, were also present.
Curiously, something we have come to expect of the titular Catholic priest, Father Brown is fixated on a gold lighter. It might be meaningless but, naturally, then again… Seemingly unimportant facts, as viewers have seen in previous episodes, are often revealing. The lighter, actually belonging to a member of the Royal Family, had been pickpocketed from Miss Barnes and seemingly later recovered by Inspector Beckett.
An old newspaper, now curiously missing, piques Father Brown’s interest. What could a football match played in 1937 have to do with recent events? Will Inspector Sullivan remember the match?
Father Brown, co-created by Rachel Flowerday and Tahsin Guner, stars series ten regulars Mark Williams, Claudie Blakley, Ruby-May Martinwood, Tom Chambers, and John Burton.
The period drama, further to the regular cast members, guest stars Sarah Smart, Howard Ward, Tristan Gemmill, Kara Tointon, and Gary Lilburn. The all-important royal visitor, played by Olivia Benjamin, is Princess Margaret.
Uncredited characters, some faces series fans will recognise, are played by Manoj Anand, Adrian Dobson, Jenny Kent, Nick Owenford, John Neil Park, Richard Price, and Karuna Raina.
