Reggie Kray and Frances Shea were married on 19th April 1965 at St James’ Church, Bethnal Green, East London. After the wedding they spent their honeymoon in Athens, Greece.
Frances left Reggie just eight months into the marriage. After struggling with depression, she apparently killed herself with an overdose of pills. She was just 23 years old.
The following is an excerpt from an article in the Express newspaper (published in the UK), dated May 15, 2014.
An inquest ruled she had committed suicide by taking a drug overdose but decades later former armed robber Bradley Allardyce claimed Reggie told him in prison she was murdered by Ronnie. Frances left Reggie just eight months into the marriage
“He would get really deep and open up to me,” he told the BBC. “He suddenly broke down and said: ‘I’m going to tell you something I’ve only ever told two people and something I’ve carried around with me.’
“Something that been a black hole since the day he found out. He put his head on my shoulder and told me Ron killed Frances.”
According to this account Ronnie, who resented Frances’s hold on his brother’s affections, forced her to take the pills. He told Reggie two days later.
Reggie arranged the funeral, producing order of service booklets in the name of Frances Kray rather than Shea. She was buried in that name in the showpiece family plot in Chingford cemetery, East London.
A sad story. But is it just that – a story? Are the claims made by Bradley Allardyce to be believed?
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