Reggie Kray: Life, Death, and Legacy of the Notorious Gangster

When Frances Shea married Reggie Kray in 1965, she was a 21-year-old hoping for a normal life with the man she loved. Instead, two years later she was dead by suicide, and Reggie was left with a guilt that would follow him through more than three decades behind bars.

Born: 24 October 1933, Haggerston, London, England ·
Died: 1 October 2000, Norwich, Norfolk, England (aged 66) ·
Spouses: Frances Shea (m. 1965–1967), Roberta Jones (m. 1997–2000) ·
Known For: Criminal activities with twin brother Ronnie Kray in London’s East End ·
Imprisonment: Nearly 32 years for murder of Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie (1968–2000)

Here are the key facts about Reggie Kray’s life at a glance.

What happened to Reggie Kray after Frances died?

Frances Shea’s death on 7 June 1967 marked a turning point. According to Wikipedia (online encyclopedia), the coroner ruled her death a suicide by barbiturate overdose. Reggie was devastated — and, according to associates, became more violent in the months that followed.

How old was Reggie Kray’s wife when she died?

• Frances Shea was born on 23 September 1943, according to Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• She died on 7 June 1967, aged 23 Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• She had met Reggie in 1959 when she was 16, and their courtship lasted about six years Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).

Did Reggie Kray actually love Frances?

The question is debated. Biography.com (biography publisher) notes that their marriage was “brief and troubled.” Frances reportedly tried to leave Reggie multiple times. After her death, Reggie wore her wedding ring for the rest of his life — a gesture that biographer John Pearson (author of The Profession of Violence) described as “the only proof of genuine love.”

The implication: Reggie’s grief may have been real, but so was the strain of living with a violent gangster. The two truths coexist.

Who was tougher, Ronnie or Reggie Kray?

Five key differences separate the twins, and the contrast shaped their legend.

What this means: Ronnie was the face of raw terror, but Reggie was the engine that kept the empire running. Both were deadly, but in different keys.

How old were Ronnie and Reggie when they died?

Both twins were born on 24 October 1933, but their deaths came 5½ years apart.

• Ronnie Kray died on 17 March 1995 at age 61, from a heart attack while incarcerated at Broadmoor Hospital Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• Reggie Kray died on 1 October 2000 at age 66, after being released on compassionate grounds in August 2000 Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• Reggie had been diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer earlier that year Biography.com (biography publisher).

The pattern: both died in the grip of the state — Ronnie in a secure hospital, Reggie just weeks after tasting freedom.

What illness did Reggie Kray have?

Reggie was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2000 while still in prison. According to Biography.com (biography publisher), the cancer was terminal, which led to his compassionate release on 26 August 2000. He died six weeks later.

How rich was Reggie Kray?

At the peak of the Kray empire in the 1960s, the twins ran protection rackets, nightclubs, and illegal gambling. Estimates of their combined wealth range from £2 million to £5 million — equivalent to roughly £40–100 million today The Sun (UK tabloid).

However, most of the money was spent on legal fees, lifestyle, and was lost during imprisonment. When Reggie died, his estate was valued at under £50,000 Wikipedia (online encyclopedia). The trade-off: a fortune built on crime vanished almost entirely.

Did Reggie Kray have a child?

No. Reggie Kray had no biological children with either wife. He married Frances Shea in 1965 (no children) and Roberta Jones in 1997 (also no children) Biography.com (biography publisher). Rumors of an illegitimate son have circulated for decades, but Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) notes that none have been substantiated. His only heir was his second wife, Roberta.

Timeline of Reggie Kray’s life

• 24 October 1933 — Reginald Kray born, twin of Ronnie.
• Early 1950s — Begins amateur boxing; both twins become professional.
• 19 April 1965 — Marries Frances Shea at St James’s Church, Bethnal Green Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• 7 June 1967 — Frances dies by suicide at age 23 Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• 1968 — Arrested and convicted for murder of Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie; sentenced to life Biography.com (biography publisher).
• 17 March 1995 — Ronnie Kray dies of a heart attack in Broadmoor.
• 1997 — Marries Roberta Jones while in prison Biography.com (biography publisher).
• 26 August 2000 — Released on compassionate grounds due to terminal cancer Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).
• 1 October 2000 — Dies of bladder cancer at age 66 Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).

The implication: a life built on violence ended in a short, quiet coda that left no room for redemption.

Clarity check: what we know and what remains murky

The catch: the most intimate questions about Reggie’s inner life remain unanswered, even as the hard facts of his criminal career are well documented.

Quotes: voices from the Kray story

I have become a born-again Christian. I have found peace with God.

— Reggie Kray, in a prison interview, as reported by Biography.com (biography publisher)

Reggie was the more dangerous of the two because he was calculated. Ronnie was a mad dog, but Reggie was a cold-blooded killer.

— Former police detective Leonard “Nipper” Read, as quoted in Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)

Frances was a prisoner in her own home. She loved Reggie, but she was terrified of Ronnie.

— John Pearson, author of The Profession of Violence, as cited in The Guardian (UK newspaper)

If I had my time again, I would never have become a gangster. It destroyed my life.

— Reggie Kray, in a 2000 interview, as reported by BBC (UK public broadcaster)

The pattern: across the quotes, Reggie appears as a man torn between violence and remorse, while those around him saw the coldness behind the twin’s public persona.

Summary

Reggie Kray’s story is not one of a triumphant return — it’s a study in the cost of violence and the weight of a single tragedy. Frances Shea’s death broke something in him that 32 years in prison could not repair. For the public, the fascination with the Kray twins remains undimmed, but the human cost is clear: a man who lost his wife, his freedom, and his life within six weeks of tasting the outside world. For anyone who glamorises the gangster life, the lesson is written in Reggie’s final years: the empire crumbles, the money vanishes, and the man dies alone.

Frequently asked questions

The takeaway: the public appetite for Kray mythology persists, but the man behind the myth remains elusive.

Related reading

• Brendan Abbott: Where Is the Postcard Bandit Now — the story of another infamous criminal.
• Thomas Shelby: Real Person? Biography, Age, Death & Romani Roots — separating fact from fiction in the Peaky Blinders legend.

Reggie Kray’s legacy, like those of the criminals linked above, continues to fascinate even after death.