Frances Kray
Ronnie Kray was, for the time, openly homosexual, despite the laws in England making it illegal to engage in homosexual behavior. His brother Reggie later claimed to be bisexual, and the relationship between the twins included rumors of incest in their lifetimes. After their deaths documents were discovered which appeared to confirm these rumors, with one of the reasons being Reggie Kray’s concern over his sexual orientation being discovered. Despite this, Reggie Kray was married twice.
Reggie Kray’s first wife was Frances Shea, and during 1960 they dated extensively and exclusively. When Kray went to prison for a time early in the decade, he wrote to her. Many of the letters survive. After his release the relationship continued. In 1965, despite the disapproval of her parents and the refusal of their local parish priest to officiate the marriage, believing that the marriage would lead to serious harm to one or both of them, they were married. It was the height of the Swinging London era, and the wedding photographer was David Bailey, one of the most famous photographers to capture the time on film.
During their Athens honeymoon, Reggie left his bride alone at the hotel and sought out young Greek boys. Once back in England Frances became the target of emotional and physical abuse. Frances was shocked to the point of nausea at the sight of blood, so her new husband deliberately cut his hand and forced her to watch it drip blood. After just a few weeks of marriage, Frances returned to her family, but Reggie refused to leave her alone. By 1967 they were, at least to outer appearances, reconciled as a couple but not yet living together.
When Reggie suggested that they attempt to have a second honeymoon in Ibiza in the summer of 1967 she agreed and together they planned a trip. Frances went with Reggie to purchase the tickets after which she returned to her brother’s apartment in London, where she was staying at the time. While there she committed suicide, or so it was believed, although the Kray’s pushed the story of accidental overdose of sleeping pills since there was no suicide note. Reggie Kray paid for her funeral, which included huge floral displays, including one over six feet tall in the form of a wreath spelling out her name.
Two events happened within just a few months of the funeral. The murder of McVitie took place just four months following the funeral and some have speculated that the loss of Frances may have been part of the reason for the uncontrolled violence with which Reggie Kray had killed McVitie. However before the McVitie murder the man who had spent today’s equivalent of $30,000 on his wife’s funeral was already involved in a relationship with a woman in her early twenties who appeared with him publicly, helping to mask his other sexual behavior.