Charles Chiddingfold is an antagonist from the Monty Python TV show Ripping Yarns. He appeared in the episode "Murder at Moorstones Manor". He is responsible for the murders of his Aunt Mable, Manners the butler, possibly Clive Chiddingfold and possibly Hugo Chiddingfold. Charles is shown to only care about himself. Even when his father, brother and wife died he couldn't care less. All he was worried about was how much money he was going to inherit after his father died.
He was portrayed by Michael Palin, who also portrayed Jack Lint in Brazil, King Louis XIV, Luigi Vercoti and Smuggler in Monty Python's Flying Circus, and one-third of the Three-Headed Giant and the Leader of the Knights Who Say Ni in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Biography[]
Charles was raised by Clive Chiddingfold and Lady Chiddingfold. His older brother Hugo did not have very good mental health. When he was a teenager he murdered his Aunt Mable for an unknown reason, He hid her body somewhere in the garden in front of his house (her bones are later found by Lady Chiddingfold) Many years later when he is a grown adult he marries his wife Ruth. After a few years his father Clive invites Charles and Hugo to celebrate his birthday at the Manor. Before he arrives to the Manor he passes Dora his brother's wife (Hugo left her on the streets because he loved his car more than her) When Charles arrives at the Manor he goes to talk to his mother and father.
Later, at dinner when everyone is talking, his wife Ruth dies of an unknown cause. Charles and everyone else do not seem to care and they continue eating their dinner. Hugo comes into the room and starts annoying everybody so Manners the butler and Lady Chiddingfold escort him back upstairs leaving Charles in the room with his father. Lady Chiddingfold and Manners hear a gunshot so they run back downstairs to Clive dead. Charles says that he did not kill his father and he claimed he was looking for a secret passage and did not see who killed him. Manners and Lady Chiddingfold believe him and Charles tells them he is going to tell Hugo what happened. While Charles is upstairs supposedly telling Hugo what happened Lady Chiddingfold hears a gunshot! Right away Charles comes downstairs and tells her that Hugo is dead and he did not see who did it because he was looking under Hugo's bed for a secret passage and when he looked back up Hugo was dead! Later Charles supposedly accidently shoots Hugo's corpse with a shotgun.
Later, Dora Hugo's ex wife comes into the Manor claiming she had walked forty miles to get to the Manor since Hugo left her on the streets, so Lady Chiddingfold calls Dr. Farson one of her husband's early friends.
When Dr. Farson arrives, Charles "accidentally" shoots Dr. Farson twice in the shoulder with a rifle. Charles tells Lady Chiddingfold that he is going to watch Dora (he most likely was going to kill her) When Charles arrives in Dora's room she shoots him in the stomach with a shotgun (he is still alive) Then Dora leaves the the room. Charles manages to walk over to the balcony over the stairs while he is bleeding out. He notices that Manners, Dr. Farson and Dora are arguing over which one of them killed Clive and Hugo! This enrages Charles and he claims that he killed Clive and Hugo. They all get into an argument ending with a gunfight ending up with Charles, Manners, Dr. Farson and Dora dead.
It is unknown if Charles killed Clive and Hugo. Charles is the number one suspect because he was in the room with Clive and Hugo when they died.