Reggie Kray: Life, Crimes, Wives, and Death

There’s a reason the name Reggie Kray still echoes decades after his death. He was one half of Britain’s most notorious gangster duo, but also a man who loved, lost, and eventually faced the consequences of a violent life.

Born: 24 October 1933, Haggerston, London · Died: 1 October 2000, Norwich, England · Prison term: 32 years (released 26 August 2000) · Known for: Notorious East End gangster, twin of Ronnie Kray · Spouse(s): Frances Shea (1965–1967), Roberta Jones (1997–2000) · Occupation: Gangster, former amateur boxer

Six key facts, one pattern: the Kray twins exploited their celebrity status to build a criminal empire that the authorities struggled to dismantle.

What happened to Reggie Kray?

Conviction and life sentence

Reggie Kray was arrested on 8 May 1968 along with his brother Ronnie (The Kray Twins Wiki (fan wiki)). The following year, he was convicted of murdering Jack McVitie and sentenced to life imprisonment with a 30-year tariff (Biography (crime biography publisher)).

Release on compassionate grounds

After serving 32 years, Reggie was released on 26 August 2000 because he was terminally ill with bladder cancer (Biography (crime biography publisher)). He spent his final weeks in a hotel in Norwich under police supervision.

Death and burial

Reggie Kray died on 1 October 2000 at age 66 (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)). His funeral drew thousands of mourners, and he was buried alongside his mother Violet in Chingford Mount Cemetery.

Who was tougher, Ronnie or Reggie Kray?

Reputation in the underworld

Reggie was known as the calmer and more businesslike twin, while Ronnie was openly paranoid and violent (Biography (crime biography publisher)). Underworld lore suggests that Reggie was the more effective leader because he could control his temper, whereas Ronnie’s unpredictability made him dangerous.

Boxing careers compared

Both twins were amateur boxers. Reggie reportedly had an amateur record of 7 wins, 0 losses, with 2 knockouts, while Ronnie’s record was 4 wins, 2 losses, with 4 knockouts (Official RR Kray Facebook (social media)). Reggie had professional aspirations but never turned pro, turning instead to crime.

Crimes and violence

Reggie personally murdered Jack McVitie in 1967, stabbing him after a botched attempt to intimidate him (Biography (crime biography publisher)). Ronnie was convicted of the murder of George Cornell in 1966. The Kray Firm as a whole was responsible for multiple killings, though the exact number remains disputed.

The pattern is clear: Reggie’s restraint bought him longevity, but Ronnie’s insanity bought him Broadmoor.

Did Reggie Kray actually love Frances?

The marriage with Frances Shea

Reggie married Frances Shea in 1965. She was about ten years younger than him (&MEETINGS (events blog)). The marriage was turbulent, with reports of physical abuse and Reggie’s controlling behaviour.

Frances’s suicide

Frances died by suicide on 7 June 1967, according to an inquest (Express (UK tabloid)). She took an overdose of barbiturates. Her personal papers later revealed a deep unhappiness with the marriage and the criminal lifestyle.

Reggie’s later statements

In his autobiography, Reggie expressed regret over his treatment of Frances and claimed he loved her. However, historians and family members remain divided on whether his affection was genuine or a form of possessiveness (Express (UK tabloid)).

How old were Ronnie and Reggie when they died?

Ronnie Kray’s death at 61

Ronnie Kray died on 17 March 1995 at age 61 (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)). He had been committed to Broadmoor Hospital in 1979 after being certified insane (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

Reggie Kray’s death at 66

Reggie died on 1 October 2000 at age 66, just five years after his brother. Both were born on 24 October 1933 (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

The implication: the twin who controlled his violence outlived the volatile one by half a decade, both dying decades younger than the average British male of their generation.

Were the Kray twins Irish?

Ancestry and family background

Their father, Charles Kray, was of Irish descent. Their mother, Violet Lee, had Romany and Irish heritage (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

Cultural identity

The twins identified as East Londoners and British. They were not raised with a strong Irish cultural identity, but their Irish roots were acknowledged in their family history.

The catch: the twins weaponised a London identity, not an Irish one, to dominate their territory.

How many wives did Reggie Kray have?

Frances Shea

First wife Frances Shea, married 1965, died 1967. No children.

Roberta Jones

Second wife Roberta Jones, married 1997 while Reggie was in prison. They remained married until his death. No children from this marriage either.

What this means: two marriages, no heirs — the Kray bloodline ends with Reggie.

How rich was Reggie Kray?

Wealth from criminal enterprises

The Kray twins made money from protection rackets, nightclubs, and illegal loans. At its peak, the Firm’s income was substantial, but legal fees and seizures eroded most of it.

Assets at time of death

Reggie Kray’s net worth at death was estimated at around £50,000 (Biography (crime biography publisher)). Most assets had been seized by the state or consumed by legal costs.

The pattern: the criminal empire that terrorised London left its boss with less than the price of a London flat.

Ronnie vs Reggie: A comparison

Three key differences, one pattern: Reggie was the more controlled operator, Ronnie the more volatile.

Timeline of Reggie Kray’s life

• 24 October 1933 – Born in Haggerston, London, to Charles and Violet Kray
• 1950s – Began amateur boxing career; fought alongside Ronnie
• 1960s – Ran the Kray Firm, involved in protection rackets, clubs, and murder
• 1965 – Married Frances Shea
• 1967 – Frances Shea died by suicide
• 8 May 1968 – Arrested along with Ronnie for murder of Jack McVitie
• 1969 – Sentenced to life imprisonment with 30-year tariff
• 1995 – Ronnie Kray died in prison
• 1997 – Married Roberta Jones while in prison
• 26 August 2000 – Released on compassionate grounds due to terminal cancer
• 1 October 2000 – Died at age 66

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Quotes about Reggie Kray

I loved her, but I didn’t know how to show it. I was a gangster, not a husband.

– Reggie Kray, from his autobiography, as quoted in Express (UK tabloid)

Reggie was the brains. I was the muscle. But without me, he would have been nothing.

– Ronnie Kray, reportedly, as cited in Biography (crime biography publisher)

She was trapped. She loved him, but she was terrified of him. The marriage destroyed her.

– Frances Shea’s family, as quoted in Express (UK tabloid)

Summary

Reggie Kray lived a life of extreme violence, brief celebrity, and long imprisonment. For historians studying 1960s London crime, his story is a cautionary tale about the cost of violence and the fleeting nature of power. The gangster who terrorised a city died with £50,000 and no heirs.

For a more detailed account of Reggie Kray’s life, see detailed account of Reggie Krays life.

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