Frances Shea was a stunning Irish girl born in Bethnal Green, East London. Her father, Frank, ran the gambling at the Regency Club in Stoke Newington, and Frances met the notorious Kray twins there. Ronnie Kray and Reggie Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organized crime (gangsters) in the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s.
The Beginning of the love story
Frances Shea was only sixteen when she met Reggie Kray. Despite their age difference, with Reggie being 27 years old at the time, their mutual attraction was undeniable. In 1961, Reggie proposed to Frances, but she declined, feeling too young for marriage. Undeterred, Reggie continued to pursue her, even writing letters to Frances while he was in prison. Four years later, Reggie tried his luck again, and this time Frances accepted his proposal.
The Controversial Marriage
In 1965, Reggie and Frances married at St. James’s Church in Bethnal Green, despite the disapproval of Frances’ parents. The priest initially refused to officiate the marriage due to Reggie’s criminal connections, but a second priest agreed to perform the ceremony. The wedding was extravagant, with celebrities and criminal figures in attendance, reflecting the Kray twins’ notoriety and influence.
The Short-Lived Honeymoon
Following their wedding, the couple planned a honeymoon in Athens, Greece. However, two months into their marriage, Frances left Reggie and returned to live with her parents. Struggling with depression and the weight of her new life as a gangster’s wife, she attempted suicide by overdosing on barbiturates. Reggie, unable to let her go, continued to pursue her, and by 1967, they reconciled as a couple, though they did not live together. They planned a second honeymoon in Ibiza that summer, but it never came to fruition.
A Life Filled with Abuse and Tragedy
Reggie Kray abused Frances physically and emotionally. On one occasion, he cut his hand and forced her to watch it drip blood. Reggie Kray’s brother Ronnie Kray was homosexual, and even Reggie was claimed to be bisexual. After their death, documents revealed that they had an incestuous relationship. Despite this, Reggie Kray was married twice, with his second marriage to Roberta Jones occurring while serving his life sentence.
On the 7th of June, 1967, Frances Shea attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills and took her life at the young age of 23. Reggie Kray paid for her funeral, which included substantial floral displays, including one over six feet tall in the form of a wreath spelling out her name. Her parents told Reggie Kray that their daughter’s last wish had been to revert to her maiden name, but he insisted that she be buried under her married name and wear her white satin wedding dress. However, Mrs. Shea persuaded the undertaker to clothe the corpse in tights and a slip so that as little of her body as possible would be in contact with the hated dress.
Reggie Kray’s Life After Frances
After a few months, Reggie Kray murdered Jack D. McVitie, a minor criminal, and he was arrested the following year and received life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 30 years. Before his arrest, Reggie visited Frances’ grave several times. When he was allowed to attend the funeral of his brother Charlie in 2000, he visited her grave and kissed the tombstone.
During his time in prison, Reggie Kray found a new path and converted to Christianity. He started to paint as a way to cope, discovering comfort and peace in the world of art. Reggie didn’t stop there; he went on to write several books, sharing his experiences and thoughts. Among them, he penned his autobiography, “Born Fighter,” and a book about his life of crime and his journey to redemption. These works gave readers a glimpse into the mind of a notorious gangster who turned his life around, seeking forgiveness and finding solace in the creative process.
They were absolute psychopaths and the world’s a better place without them.
They were complete phonies. The same kind of nightclub owners you’ll find around the world, tending to be seedy. The British media ran with their legend as Underworld figures even though they weren’t even gangsters. I’ve watched their documentaries and read about them. Comparatively, they are tame jokes.
Yes, the media has exaggerated their size.
This morning I took a taxi in London and the driver could have done Ron’s voice over… It was obvious that having just visited the Tower of London, where the Krays were jailed as civilians, and Madame Tussauds, where the Krays are on display, I was thinking of the Krays. He mentioned he grew up in the krays neighborhood where they conducted business, and we talked about the krays. According to him, krays were respected by the community the same way Pablo Escobar was. In essence, they bought neighborhood loyalty with money, employment, and employment in the neighborhood. He said he couldn’t leave the neighborhood because rival gangs would hear his accent and assume he supported or worked for the krays. Definitely not Al Capone or Pablo Escobar, but for their short time they turned the east end on its head… just my opinion.
They were both sadistic psychopathic killers who liked sex with underage boys along with their wealthy posh old friends, and one was a murderer too, but he was a closet homosexual who tried to fake it but failed. Oh, and don’t forget that they loved their dear old mum. Both of them were not master criminals. Most movies about them are old bollocks.
They reportedly had sex with each other multiple times as teenagers
What? Are you sure. Please give me the source. Asking for a friend
John Pearson claimed this in The Profession of Violence. Ronnie had extensive access to him, and it was agreed that the details would not be revealed until both men were deceased. Before she died in 1967, Frances Shea had said something similar to a friend. Reggie is believed to have killed her for a long time. Although we will never know for sure, some people spoke out after Ronnie and Reggie’s deaths to say he was either jealous or silencing her after she talked about the brothers.
Did you know them both then? Everyone comments on their life etc, and the Kray twins died before most of these commentators were born.
They weren’t the most feared or the richest, they just loves the attention and fame.