Most people know the Kray name from a film or a pub quiz, but the man at the centre of it often gets lost between the myth and the mugshot. Reggie Kray died in Norwich on 1 October 2000, aged 66, according to the Los Angeles Times (major US daily), and this piece sticks to what the public record supports about his marriages, his family and his final years, flagging where that record runs out.
Born: 24 October 1933, Hoxton, London (IMDb (film and TV database)) · Died: 1 October 2000, Norwich (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) · Age at death: 66 (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)) · Twin Ronnie died: 1995, aged 61 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
Quick snapshot
- Reggie Kray died in Norwich on 1 October 2000, aged 66 (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)) (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- He was granted compassionate release on 26 August 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- He received a life sentence in 1969 for the murder of Jack “The Hat” McVitie (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- Whether he had children: one biographical site reports none (Aussiewirehub (biographical reference site)), while a blog names a son (BuzzTrend (blog, unverified))
- Where Frances Shea is buried, which the reviewed sources do not state (Aussiewirehub (biographical reference site))
- Who played him in the film Legend, which the reviewed sources do not state (Aussiewirehub (biographical reference site))
- His compassionate release on 26 August 2000 came about five weeks before his death (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- His first marriage, to Frances Shea, is dated 20 April 1965 (IMDb (film and TV database))
- Ronnie Kray died at Broadmoor Hospital in 1995, aged 61 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- His funeral took place on 11 October 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- His burial beside his twin is documented, and Frances’s burial place is not (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- Settling the children question would need a primary record, and none appears in the reviewed set (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
Eight records anchor the core story, and they split into two groups: death and burial dates that rest on tier-2 reporting, and marriage dates taken from tier-3 film and genealogy databases.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Reggie Kray |
| Born | 24 October 1933, Hoxton, London (IMDb (film and TV database)) |
| Died | 1 October 2000, Beefeater Town House Hotel, Norwich (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) |
| Age at death | 66 (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)) |
| Cause of death | Bladder cancer (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)) |
| Twin | Ronnie Kray |
| Recorded spouses | Frances Shea; Roberta Kray (née Jones) |
| Funeral | 11 October 2000, St Matthew’s Church, Bethnal Green (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) |
| Children | Not confirmed in the reviewed sources |
What happened to Reggie Kray after Frances died?
Frances Shea was his first wife. According to IMDb (film and TV database), she died on 7 June 1967, and Geni (genealogy records) reportedly records that her death was a suicide by overdose. The reviewed sources say little about the years between her death and his trial, so the best-documented part of his later life begins with the prison sentence.
Coverage from CNN (international news network) and a Deseret News (regional US daily) report on his final weeks adds context, while Biography.com (biography reference site) reportedly describes a religious turn in prison.
What happened to Reggie Kray?
- 1969: sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Jack “The Hat” McVitie, with a recommended minimum of 30 years (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- 26 August 2000: granted compassionate release by Home Secretary Jack Straw because of terminal illness (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- Diagnosis: inoperable bladder cancer with secondary tumours, confirmed as terminal by a hospital consultant (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- 1 October 2000: died at the Beefeater Town House Hotel in Norwich, Norfolk (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
The implication: his last months are documented in far more detail than his marriages, so any reader should treat the personal life as thinner ground.
How many wives did Reggie Kray have?
Two wives appear in the reviewed record, and the marriage dates come from databases rather than news reports.
Two wives, one pattern: the dates come from databases and do not appear in the news coverage.
| Wife | Married | Death or status |
|---|---|---|
| Frances Shea | 20 April 1965 (IMDb (film and TV database)) | 7 June 1967 (IMDb (film and TV database)) |
| Roberta Kray (née Jones) | 14 July 1997, in prison (IMDb (film and TV database)) | Present at his death, reportedly (Geni (genealogy records)) |
Are Reggie and Frances buried together?
- Reggie’s funeral was held at St Matthew’s Church, Bethnal Green, with burial at Chingford Mount Cemetery (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- The same report places his twin Ronnie and brother Charlie at that cemetery (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- Frances’s burial place is not stated in the reviewed sources.
The catch: the cemetery confirms Reggie’s place among his family, but it does not confirm a shared grave with Frances.
Did Reggie Kray have any children?
No reviewed source confirms children. Two low-confidence claims contradict each other, and both come from tier-3 sites.
- A biographical reference site reports no children from either marriage (Aussiewirehub (biographical reference site)).
- A blog reportedly names a son, John, born in 1968, and notes that this conflicts with other sources (BuzzTrend (blog, unverified)).
The catch: a son and no children cannot both be true, and the record holds no birth or court document to decide between them.
Any article that repeats the John claim should name BuzzTrend (blog, unverified) as its only origin, because the claim has no primary backing and sits against the biographical reference.
The implication: both children claims rest on tier-3 sites, so neither should be treated as settled until a birth or court record surfaces.
How old were Ronnie and Reggie when they died?
Ronnie died at Broadmoor Hospital in 1995, aged 61 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)). Reggie died in 2000, aged 66. A New York Times (major US daily) obituary carried a web address that reads “reggie-kray-is-dead-at-66,” which matches that figure. Both twins were born on 24 October 1933, according to IMDb (film and TV database), and Reggie was the last surviving member of the family.
What was the cause of Reggie Kray’s death?
- Reggie died of bladder cancer in October 2000 (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)).
- The cancer was inoperable and had spread with secondary tumours (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
Why was Ronnie Kray buried without a brain?
- No reviewed source explains what happened to Ronnie’s brain, so the question stays open.
- The BBC funeral report places Ronnie at Chingford Mount Cemetery, where Reggie was also buried (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
The implication: the ages are settled, but the brain question is not, and any answer should come from a primary record rather than a fan wiki.
Where did all the Krays money go?
No reviewed source tracks the Kray family’s money. The only financial statement comes from Reggie’s widow, who said she gained nothing from the marriage.
Roberta Kray’s statement, reported by BBC Norfolk (regional BBC service), is a claim about her own marriage, not an account of the family’s wealth. It closes one narrow question and leaves the rest open.
What happened to the barmaid who testified against the Krays?
- The reviewed sources do not cover the barmaid’s fate.
- The documented trial outcome is the 1969 life sentence for McVitie’s murder (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)), not the witness’s later life.
The catch: money and witness questions are among the most searched, and the reviewed record answers neither, so the honest move is to say so.
Timeline of key dates
The dates below are the ones the reviewed sources support, with the strongest reporting listed first.
- : Reggie and Ronnie are born in Hoxton, London, according to IMDb (film and TV database).
- : Reggie marries Frances Shea, according to IMDb (film and TV database).
- : Frances dies, according to IMDb (film and TV database).
- : Reggie receives a life sentence for the McVitie murder (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- : Ronnie dies at Broadmoor Hospital, aged 61 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)), and Geni (genealogy records) gives 17 March 1995 as the date.
- : Reggie marries Roberta Jones in prison, according to IMDb (film and TV database).
- : Charlie Kray dies while serving a sentence for drug offences (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)).
- : Reggie is granted compassionate release (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- : Reggie dies in Norwich (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- : Reggie’s funeral is held (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
Why this matters: the release, the death and the funeral fall within about six and a half weeks, so the final stage of his life is the most tightly documented part of the record.
Confirmed and contested
The record splits into a firm core and a loose edge, and the loose edge is longer.
Confirmed facts
- Reggie died in Norwich on 1 October 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- He was 66 at death (Los Angeles Times (major US daily)).
- He was granted compassionate release on 26 August 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- He received a life sentence in 1969 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- His funeral was held on 11 October 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
What’s unclear
- Whether Reggie had any children, given conflicting claims (Aussiewirehub (biographical reference site), BuzzTrend (blog, unverified))
- How Frances Shea died, as reported by Geni (genealogy records)
- Where Frances is buried
- Whether Reggie attended Ronnie’s funeral, which the reviewed sources do not record
- Why Ronnie was buried without a brain
- Where the family’s money went
- What became of the barmaid who testified
- Who played Reggie in Legend
The trade-off: a tidy story needs the children and money questions answered, and the record supports neither answer.
Voices from the record
Four quotes carry the sharpest contrasts in the reviewed material, and they do not agree.
“There was no glamour and there was no financial benefit from marrying Reg.”
Roberta Kray, widow, BBC Norfolk (regional BBC service)
“I think Reg has always shown an element of remorse and I think it’s a fallacy that he hasn’t.”
Roberta Kray, widow, BBC Norfolk (regional BBC service)
“Reggie is a prime example of how you should teach your children not to behave.”
Dave Courtney, friend, BBC News (UK public broadcaster)
“He was an icon of the 20th century.”
Mr Goldstein, solicitor, BBC News (UK public broadcaster)
The pattern: the widow’s view of remorse runs against the friend’s verdict and the solicitor’s word “icon,” so the record offers opinions rather than a consensus.
What the record leaves open
The reviewed record is firm on the arc of his life: a birth, a long sentence, a release on compassionate grounds and a death in Norwich. It is thin on the marriages, the children and the family’s money. For a reader who wants the Kray story without the myth, the choice is clear: keep the dated facts, label the genealogy claims as tier-3, or repeat the children claim as settled and invite a correction.
insightbritain.co.uk, news.bbc.co.uk, washingtonpost.com, profileage.com
Frequently asked questions
Did Reggie go to Ronnie’s funeral?
Reggie was still serving his life sentence when Ronnie died in 1995 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)). The reviewed sources do not record whether he attended the funeral.
Who plays Reggie Kray in Legend?
The reviewed inputs do not name the actor. The film’s credits are the place to confirm it.
Where did Reggie Kray die?
He died on 1 October 2000 at the Beefeater Town House Hotel in Norwich, Norfolk (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
When was Reggie Kray born?
According to IMDb (film and TV database), he was born on 24 October 1933.
Where was Reggie Kray born?
According to IMDb (film and TV database), he was born in Hoxton, East London.
Where was Reggie Kray’s funeral held?
The funeral was held at St Matthew’s Church, Bethnal Green, on 11 October 2000 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
Related reading
- Jane Andrews true story (murder and royal ties)
- Michael Hutchence death, relationships and family facts
Editor’s note: No Kray biography sits in our archive. These two are the nearest matches: one true-crime piece and one biography that covers a death, relationships and family.
George Harry Howard Bennett is a staff writer for Public Journal UK, specializing in UK news, policy analysis, and public affairs coverage. He works under Editor-in-Chief Margaret Ellison, maintaining high standards of sourcing, verification, and fact-checking. Bennett reports on Westminster, government policy, and societal issues, providing balanced and accurate journalism with timely insight.