Who is Lord Lucan? True story of nanny killer and his life on the run after murder

The infamous Lord Lucan murder mystery has captivated the world for nearly 50 years.

On November 7, 1974, Sandra Rivett, a 29-year-old nanny working for the Lucan family in their London townhouse, was brutally murdered. Her body was discovered in a blood-drenched mailbag in the basement kitchen, but her employer, Richard John Bingham, had already absconded.

Bingham, also known as Lord Lucan, is thought to have escaped to Australia with the assistance of wealthy acquaintances. There have been numerous 'sightings' of the fugitive as far away as India and Mozambique.

Who is Lord Lucan?

Bingham was the seventh Earl of Lucan, born in 1934 to an affluent father who served in Clement Atlee's government. His great-great-grandfather commanded the Charge of the Light Brigade.

Lucan briefly worked at a London bank before striking it rich by winning tens of thousands of pounds gambling. He splurged his substantial winnings on a luxurious lifestyle, which included powerboat racing, owning racehorses, and bobsleigh racing.

His opulent life reportedly led to him being considered for the role of James Bond on screen.

In 1963, the aristocratic Lucan wed Veronica Duncan, a woman of middle-class origins, despite his reputation for snobbery and disdain for those who "didn't have proper shoelaces". The couple had three children together, but the marriage crumbled as Lady Lucan battled postnatal depression.

After inheriting the earldom from his late father, Lucan unsuccessfully attempted to commit his wife to a psychiatric facility. Their separation in 1973 led to a fierce custody dispute which Lucan lost.

By 1974, he was embroiled in a murder investigation.

What became of Lord Lucan's family?

The year 1975 saw the horrific murder of the family's nanny, Sandra Rivett. A Ford Corsair linked to Lucan was discovered with blood matching Sandra's type and a pipe similar to the murder weapon. Lucan contended that he had interrupted an attack on his wife by an intruder, whom he tried to overpower before the assailant fled.

Fearing his wife would implicate him, Lucan chose to vanish from the UK. At a significant 1975 inquest, the jury convicted Lucan of murder, swayed by his wife's account and additional evidence. Greville Howard, a confidant of Lucan, later informed the police that Lucan had considered murdering his wife as a means to avert financial ruin.

Was Lord Lucan connected to the Queen?

Lucan's intimate associate Bill Shand Kydd was an ex-jockey whose elder sibling Peter had been married to Princess Diana's mother for nearly twenty years. Peter tied the knot with Frances, Princess Diana's mother, following her divorce from Earl Spencer.

In a parallel connection, Bill's spouse was Christina, the sister of Lucan's wife Veronica. It was Christina who played matchmaker, introducing Veronica to John Bingham, who would later become Lord Lucan.

What happened to the family estate?

In 2018, it was confirmed by homelessness charity Shelter that they were set to inherit the entire estate of Lady Lucan after her passing.

A representative for the charity expressed gratitude, stating: "At a time when over 300,000 people in Britain are without a home, we are incredibly grateful for the support we receive. The proceeds from Lady Lucan's estate will help Shelter to continue fighting bad housing and homelessness."

Veronica, the Dowager Countess of Lucan, was discovered deceased at her Westminster residence in September 2017. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Camilla Bingham, her daughter, confirmed that Lady Lucan had "left her estate to the homeless charity Shelter".

Although Shelter did not disclose the amount donated, the Mail on Sunday reported that the Belgravia townhouse where she was found dead was valued at £2.9m.

As for the whereabouts of Lord Lucan, initial police investigations suggested he may have escaped to Africa, with numerous alleged sightings reported globally since his disappearance. However, his wife believed he ended his own life by boarding a ferry from Newhaven and jumping into the Channel.

In 2016, his son George Bingham expressed his belief that his father had been deceased since 1974. That same year, Lucan was officially declared dead.

The BBC is poised to launch a trio of investigative documentaries probing whether Lord Lucan, who if alive would be 89, successfully evaded British justice