Who were Jeremy Thorpe’s wives Caroline Allpass and Marion Stein, how did they die and did he have children?
The disgraced politician's life is being documented in new BBC drama 'A Very English Scandal'
A BBC drama is currently being aired based around the life of disgraced British politician Jeremy Thorpe.
Thorpe was at the centre of one of the biggest sex scandals of the last century after allegations that he hired a hit man to kill and silence a former male lover. But who was he married to?
Who was Jeremy Thorpe?
Jeremy Thorpe was the MP for North Devon from 1959 to 1979 and served as the leader of the Liberal Party between 1967-1976.
He was a highly-charismatic Etonian, known for his reforming principals and ebullient charm.
In May 1979 Thorpe was tried at the Old Bailey on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder, arising from an earlier homosexual relationship with Norman Scott, a former model.
Thorpe was acquitted on all charges, but the case and the furore surrounding it saw his political career come to an end.
Who was Caroline Allpass and how did she die?
Jeremy Thorpe married his first wife Caroline Allpass in 1968.
The couple went on to have one son, Rupert.
Caroline was tragically killed in a car crash just 10 days after the 1970 General Election, after two years of marriage.
She was driving from Devon to London in a green Ford Anglia packed with all the family’s luggage when she suddenly veered from one lane into another.
The car hit a 13-ton lorry before colliding with another car and flying twelve feet in the air.
By the time she arrived at hospital she had died of a ruptured spleen.
Because of all the luggage, Thorpe and his 11-month-old son Rupert had travelled to London on the train.
That afternoon, the police arrived at parliament to break the news leaving Thorpe utterly devastated.
For the rest of 1970 and for much of 1971, he remained preoccupied with his loss and his plan for a permanent memorial to Caroline.
Who was his second wife?
Three years after Caroline’s death, Thorpe married Marion Stein, a noted concert pianist and the divorced wife of the Queen’s first cousin, George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood.
Marion had three sons from her previous marriage - David, the 8th Earl of Harewood, James and Jeremy.
Years after her marriage broke down, Marion was introduced to Thorpe by a mutual acquaintance, the pianist Moura Lympany, and the pair married in 1973.
During their marriage, Thorpe found himself at the centre of one of the biggest sex scandals of the last century after allegations that he hired a hit man to kill and silence a former male lover.
His second wife came to his aide, with Marion soon seen as a formidable force in front of the press.
She regularly defended Thorpe’s reputation throughout his trial and continued to do so for the rest of his life.
What were Thorpe’s last years like?
Following his acquittal, Thorpe all but vanished from public life.
The former politician was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he battled for three decades.
Thorpe’s last public appearance was in 2009, at the unveiling of a bust of himself in the Grimond Room at the House of Commons.
After this, he was confined to his home, nursed by Marion until her own mobility issues became debilitating.
Marion died on March 6, 2014 at the age of 87.
Thorpe survived her by just nine months, dying on December 4, 2014 at the age of 85.
His funeral was held at St Margaret's, Westminster on December 17, 2014.
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Who is Thorpe’s only child?
Rupert Thorpe is a very successful photographer who, according to his website, has been covering news and features for more than 26 years.
His subjects include Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, as well as tearaway actor Russell Brand.
He has also covered major news events including Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.
In September 2017, he was one of the pack of photographers trying to get the first shot of Prince Harry and his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games.
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