The Kray twins ruled London’s East End with iron fists and sharp suits. Everyone knew about the violence. The protection rackets. The nightclubs. The celebrity connections. But the most shocking truth about Ronnie and Reggie Kray wasn’t their criminal empire. It was what they did behind closed doors…
Ronnie Kray Flaunted His Sexuality When It Was Illegal
Ronnie Kray was openly gay during an era when homosexuality could land you in prison.
This wasn’t just unusual. It was insane.
At a time when being gay was widely considered abnormal – especially in the underworld of the East End, Ronnie made a point of flaunting his relationships with men. His power as a gangster made him untouchable by conventional homophobia, according to documented accounts.
He didn’t hide. He didn’t apologise. He simply existed as himself whilst running one of the most feared criminal organisations in British history.
The cognitive dissonance was massive. How could someone so publicly defiant about their sexuality also command such fear and respect in a world built on hypermasculine violence?
The Lord Boothby Scandal Changed Everything
Ronnie’s sexuality wasn’t just personal. It became political.
In 1964, the Sunday Mirror attempted to expose prominent Tory peer Lord Boothby’s relationship with Ronnie. They attended homosexual parties together. They were, as MI5 files later revealed, “hunters of young men.”
The newspaper backed down. Sacked its editor. Apologised. Paid Boothby £40,000 – equivalent to over £1 million today.
But here’s what matters: police and press investigations into the Krays were stymied for several years. This allowed the twins to strengthen their hold on London and murder several people.
Ronnie’s sexuality didn’t just exist in a vacuum. It created a protective shield through political connections that would otherwise never have formed.
Reggie Kray’s Secret Was Darker
Whilst Ronnie’s sexuality was relatively open, Reggie maintained a carefully constructed façade.
He married Frances Shea in 1965. She died in 1967 under suspicious circumstances. The marriage was reportedly never consummated. Some gang associates claimed it was a sham to hide Reggie’s sexuality.
Maureen Flanagan, the former hairdresser to the Krays’ mother Violet, stated plainly: “They were both bisexual.”
But the most disturbing claim came from biographer John Pearson, who interviewed both twins extensively. According to Pearson, Ronnie later confessed he had murdered Frances – supposedly out of jealousy over Reggie’s attention. The line between brotherhood, sexuality and violence became impossible to distinguish.
The Incest Allegation Nobody Talks About
After their deaths, Pearson made another explosive claim.
“According to Ron, in the early days they had sex with each other because they were terrified about people finding out,” Pearson noted in his book Notorious: The Immortal Legend of the Kray Twins. “Homosexuality was nothing to be proud of in the East End. But as they became more notorious, Ronnie became quite shameless about it.”
This wasn’t speculation. This was direct testimony from Ronnie himself, recorded during Pearson’s interviews.
The twins’ relationship transcended normal fraternal bonds. It became something darker, more complex and utterly taboo.
The Identity They Chose
Even from prison, the twins attempted to control their narrative.
In his autobiography My Story and in comments to writer Robin McGibbon, Ronnie insisted: “I’m bisexual, not gay. Bisexual.” The distinction mattered to him. The terminology was a final attempt at agency over his own story.
But the facts remain undisputed. The Kray twins – London’s most feared gangsters, were gay men operating in an era and environment that should have destroyed them for it.
Instead, they built an empire.
Walk Where The Krays Walked…
The East End still holds the ghosts of this era. The streets where Ronnie flaunted his relationships. The pubs where deals were made. The corners where violence erupted.
You can experience this dark history firsthand on the Gangster London Walking Tour, led by a celebrity guide who knows every hidden corner of the Krays’ territory. This isn’t sanitised history. This is the real story, told in the places where it actually happened…
Book below for this unusual walking tour of London’s darker side..!
