Who was Charles Kray? | The Sun
CHARLES Kray was the father of two of the most notorious criminals in British history.
Ronnie and Reggie Kray have long been known as perhaps Britain's most famous gangsters, yet not as much is known about their father. So who was Charles Kray, what did Charles have to say about his children and when did he marry?
Who was Charles Kray?
Charles Kray, often known as Charles Kray Sr or old Charlie, was a wardrobe and jewellery dealer from the east end of London.
He was the father of the notorious Kray twins, as well as their older brother, Charlie Kray, his namesake.
His father, Jimmy Kray, was wounded in the First World War and was granted an honourable discharge. When the Second World War broke out, Kray was conscripted to fight in the army, but he refused to go.
Because of this, Kray went into hiding and was technically classed as a deserter to the war effort.
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This meant that he wasn't present for a large part of his children's upbringing, meaning his wife had to take care of the children, even having to sell her wedding ring to be able to fed them.
What has Charles Kray said about his children?
There isn't a lot of evidence of Kray's opinions on his children's criminal empire.
Kray visited many of The twins clubs during the time he was in hiding from the authorities.
It is thought that many of his sons violent tendencies were inherited from the way they had seen Kray treat their mother.
One incident of abuse led to a 16 year old Ronnie punch his father in the face, warning him about what the consequences could be if he struck her again.
When did Charles Kray marry Violet Lee?
Charles Kray married Violet Lee in 1926. Despite this, Violet was not yet of the legal age required to be married, so had to lie about her age.
Jimmy Lee, Violet's father, was not happy with the marriage as he didn't want her to be associated with a member of the Kray family.
It is thought that the wedding went ahead because Violet was already pregnant with the couples first child, Charlie.
Kray died in 1983, seven months after the death of his wife. He couldn't cope with her loss after over 50 years of marriage.
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