At different points in her life, she was known as Charmian Powell, Charmian Biggs and Charmian Brent. As a young woman, she married Ronnie Biggs despite strong opposition from her family. After his conviction and escape from prison, she followed him overseas with their children in the hope of keeping the family together.
That decision placed her at the centre of an international story. Yet Charmian was not simply a secondary character in Ronnie Biggs’ life. She later completed a university education, built a respected career in Australian publishing and helped tell her own story through the television drama Mrs Biggs.
Charmian Powell Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full birth name | Charmian Powell |
| Other names | Charmian Biggs and Charmian Brent |
| Born | 1939 |
| Birth country | England |
| Nationality | British-born |
| Best known for | First wife of Ronnie Biggs |
| Husband | Ronnie Biggs |
| Marriage year | 1960 |
| Divorce year | 1976 |
| Children | Three sons |
| Education | English studies with First Class Honours |
| Profession | Book editor and publishing professional |
| Television connection | Her life inspired the miniseries Mrs Biggs |
| Died | December 2014 |
| Place of death | Melbourne, Australia |
| Age at death | 75 |
Early Life of Charmian Powell
Charmian Powell was born in England in 1939 and grew up in a respectable, disciplined household. Her father was a school headmaster, and her family expected her to follow a conventional path.
Her life changed after she met Ronnie Biggs while she was still a teenager. Biggs was older than Charmian and had already been involved in minor criminal activity. He had a reputation that deeply concerned her parents.
Charmian’s family strongly disapproved of the relationship. Her father believed that Biggs was unsuitable for his daughter and attempted to prevent them from seeing each other. Charmian, however, remained emotionally committed to him.
Their relationship became more serious despite the opposition. She believed that Biggs could change and that marriage and responsibility might encourage him to leave his criminal past behind.
Charmian Powell and Ronnie Biggs eventually married in 1960. After the marriage, she became known as Charmian Biggs.
Marriage to Ronnie Biggs
In the early years of their marriage, Charmian hoped to establish a normal and stable family life. Ronnie worked as a carpenter, while Charmian focused on raising their children and managing their home.
She did not see herself as part of the criminal world. Her later accounts suggest that she wanted an ordinary marriage and believed Ronnie had left serious wrongdoing behind.
The couple had two sons while living in Britain. However, this stability ended after Ronnie became involved in the Great Train Robbery.
The crime would permanently change Charmian’s life and connect her name to one of the most famous criminal cases in British history.
The Great Train Robbery
The Great Train Robbery took place on 8 August 1963. A gang stopped a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London and stole approximately £2.6 million.
The amount was enormous at the time, and the robbery quickly became an international news story. Police launched an extensive investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.
Ronnie Biggs was one of the men connected to the crime. Charmian later maintained that she had no knowledge of the robbery before it happened.
According to her account, Ronnie told her that he was leaving home temporarily to earn money through legitimate work. She did not realise that he was participating in a major robbery.
After Ronnie returned with a large quantity of money, Charmian understood that something serious had occurred. She was shocked by his actions because he had endangered his freedom, their marriage and the security of their children.
Ronnie Biggs was arrested, tried and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1964.
Ronnie Biggs’ Prison Escape
In July 1965, Ronnie Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison in London. His escape transformed him from a convicted robber into an internationally wanted fugitive.
Biggs later travelled abroad using false documents. He also reportedly underwent plastic surgery in an effort to change his appearance and avoid recognition.
Charmian was left in an extremely difficult position. She had two young children and faced continuing attention because of her connection to Ronnie.
She eventually decided to follow him overseas. Her decision was influenced by her love for him and her desire to allow their children to grow up with their father.
In 1966, Charmian travelled with the children to Australia, where the family attempted to begin a new life.
Life in Australia
Charmian Powell and Ronnie Biggs lived under assumed identities in Australia. They spent time in different locations before settling in Melbourne.
Their life was not as wealthy or glamorous as some newspaper reports suggested. A large part of Ronnie’s share from the robbery had reportedly been spent on legal costs, travel arrangements, false documents, plastic surgery and the expenses involved in escaping from Britain.
Charmian worked to support the household while also caring for the children. At one point, she worked night shifts in a biscuit factory.
The couple had a third son while living in Australia. For a period, they experienced something close to ordinary suburban family life.
However, the constant fear of being discovered remained. Biggs could not live openly, and Charmian knew that their family life could collapse at any moment.
In 1969, reports emerged that Interpol believed Ronnie Biggs was living in Melbourne. Biggs went into hiding and eventually left Australia.
Charmian remained behind with the children. She had to face police questioning, media attention and financial uncertainty without her husband.
Media Attention and Public Pressure
After Ronnie disappeared, Charmian became the centre of intense public interest. Journalists wanted to know where Biggs had gone and whether she had helped him escape.
Although Charmian had not taken part in the Great Train Robbery, she was often treated as if she shared responsibility for her husband’s actions.
The media frequently described her through her relationship with Ronnie rather than considering her as an individual dealing with a difficult family crisis.
She was questioned by authorities and temporarily separated from her children. Her situation became so public that her private life was repeatedly discussed in newspapers and television reports.
An Australian media organisation eventually assisted with her release after she agreed to sell her story. Some of the payment helped her purchase a home and provide greater stability for her children.
The experience demonstrated the complicated position in which she found herself. She needed money and security, but earning it required her to share painful details of her private life with the public.
The Death of Her Son Nicholas
The most devastating event in Charmian Powell’s life was the death of her eldest son, Nicholas, who was also known as Nicky.
Nicholas died following a road accident in Australia. Charmian later described the tragedy as one of the most painful experiences she had ever faced.
The family car was reportedly struck by another vehicle and overturned. Nicholas was seriously injured. The ambulance taking him to hospital was also involved in a collision, and he was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
The loss of a child would have been unbearable under any circumstances. However, Charmian’s grief was made worse by the public response.
Some people sent cruel letters suggesting that her son’s death was punishment for Ronnie Biggs’ involvement in the Great Train Robbery.
These messages showed how strongly the public had connected Charmian and her children to Ronnie’s crime. Even during a family tragedy, strangers continued to judge them through the actions of a man who was living far away.
Ronnie Biggs’ Life in Brazil
After leaving Australia, Ronnie Biggs eventually travelled to Brazil. He lived in Rio de Janeiro and began a relationship with a Brazilian woman.
Charmian continued to hope that the family might one day be reunited. When Ronnie was located in Brazil in the 1970s, she travelled there to meet him.
By that time, however, he had created a new life. His Brazilian girlfriend was expecting his child, which also complicated attempts by British authorities to extradite him.
Charmian’s visit did not lead to the reunion she had hoped for. Instead, Ronnie asked her for a divorce.
The request was deeply painful because Charmian had sacrificed her relationship with her family, moved across the world and endured years of uncertainty to remain loyal to him.
Their marriage officially ended in 1976.
Rebuilding Her Life
After the divorce, Charmian returned to Australia and began rebuilding her life independently.
This stage of her story is especially important because it shows that she was not permanently defined by Ronnie Biggs or the Great Train Robbery.
As a mature student and single mother, Charmian enrolled at university. She studied English and reportedly completed her degree with First Class Honours.
Returning to education required discipline and determination. She had already experienced family rejection, migration, financial problems, media intrusion, the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her son.
Despite these difficulties, she succeeded academically and developed a new sense of identity.
Education gave Charmian the opportunity to build a life based on her own intelligence and abilities rather than her former husband’s reputation.
Career in Publishing
After completing her education, Charmian developed a successful career as a book editor and publishing professional in Australia.
She worked in the industry for many years and reportedly viewed her professional career as one of the most satisfying periods of her life.
Charmian later used the name Charmian Brent. The change helped her establish an identity separate from Ronnie Biggs and the criminal case that had dominated her younger years.
Her success in publishing challenged the stereotype that she was simply the loyal wife of a criminal. She became an educated, independent and professionally accomplished woman.
Her later life demonstrated her ability to recover from difficult circumstances and create stability for herself and her surviving children.
Charmian Powell and Mrs Biggs
Charmian Powell’s story attracted renewed public attention through the television miniseries Mrs Biggs, released in 2012.
The production was written by Jeff Pope and focused on Charmian’s relationship with Ronnie Biggs, their family life and the emotional consequences of the Great Train Robbery.
Most earlier films and documentaries about the robbery had concentrated on the criminals, the stolen money, the police investigation and Ronnie’s years as a fugitive.
Mrs Biggs presented the story from a different perspective. It showed how Ronnie’s decisions affected his wife and children.
Charmian cooperated with the production and provided information about her experiences. Her involvement helped the writers present a more personal account of the events.
British actress Sheridan Smith played Charmian, while Daniel Mays portrayed Ronnie Biggs.
Sheridan Smith’s performance received widespread praise. She won the BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actress in 2013 for her role in the series.
The success of Mrs Biggs allowed audiences to see Charmian not simply as the wife of a famous robber but as the central figure in her own dramatic and complicated life story.
Death of Charmian Powell
Charmian Brent died in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2014. She was 75 years old.
By the time of her death, she had spent several decades living independently from Ronnie Biggs and the events of the Great Train Robbery.
She had raised her surviving children, completed a university education and built a long career in publishing.
Her death received media attention because of her connection to Ronnie Biggs, but reports also recognised the strength and independence she demonstrated during her later life.
Charmian Powell’s Legacy
Charmian Powell’s legacy should not be limited to her marriage to Ronnie Biggs.
She did not plan or carry out the Great Train Robbery. There is no established evidence that she knew about the crime in advance.
Nevertheless, she and her children lived with its consequences for many years.
Her story shows how the relatives of criminals can face public criticism, financial hardship and social punishment even when they were not involved in the offence.
Charmian made difficult decisions during her youth, particularly when she followed Ronnie overseas. However, her life also demonstrates resilience and personal growth.
She survived the collapse of her marriage, the death of her child and years of unwanted publicity. She then returned to education and created a respected professional career.
Through Mrs Biggs, Charmian was finally able to present her experiences from her own perspective. The series helped move her from the margins of Ronnie Biggs’ story to the centre of her own.
Frequently Asked Questions About Charmian Powell
Who was Charmian Powell?
Charmian Powell was the first wife of Ronnie Biggs, one of the men involved in the 1963 Great Train Robbery. She was later known as Charmian Biggs and Charmian Brent.
Was Charmian Powell involved in the Great Train Robbery?
There is no confirmed evidence that Charmian helped plan or carry out the robbery. She maintained that she did not know about Ronnie Biggs’ involvement before the crime happened.
When did Charmian Powell marry Ronnie Biggs?
Charmian Powell married Ronnie Biggs in 1960.
When did Charmian Powell divorce Ronnie Biggs?
Their divorce was finalised in 1976 after Ronnie had established a new life in Brazil.
How many children did Charmian Powell have?
Charmian and Ronnie Biggs had three sons. Their eldest son, Nicholas, died following a road accident in Australia.
What did Charmian Powell do after her divorce?
After her divorce, she completed university studies in English and built a successful career as a book editor and publishing professional.
Why was Charmian Powell also called Charmian Brent?
She adopted the name Charmian Brent during her later life as she developed an identity independent of Ronnie Biggs and his criminal reputation.
Is Mrs Biggs based on a true story?
Yes. The television miniseries was inspired by Charmian’s life, marriage and experiences following the Great Train Robbery. However, some scenes were dramatised for television.
Who played Charmian Powell in Mrs Biggs?
Sheridan Smith portrayed Charmian in the series. Her performance earned her the 2013 BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actress.
When did Charmian Powell die?
Charmian died in Melbourne in December 2014 at the age of 75.
Conclusion
Charmian Powell lived a life that was far more meaningful than her connection to Ronnie Biggs. Her early marriage placed her inside one of Britain’s most famous criminal stories, but her later achievements revealed her independence and determination.
She faced public judgment, financial difficulty, family separation, personal betrayal and the tragic death of her son. Despite these experiences, she continued moving forward.
By returning to education and building a professional career in publishing, Charmian created a life that belonged to her. Her involvement in Mrs Biggs also allowed her to correct the idea that she was merely a supporting figure in Ronnie Biggs’ adventures.
The complete story of Charmian Powell is therefore not only about crime. It is about the long-term effect of another person’s actions, the struggle to reclaim an identity and the strength required to begin again.
References
- ABC News, “Former wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs dies,” December 2014.
- ABC Australian Story, “Too Good to Refuse.”
- Screen Australia, Mrs Biggs: The Untold Story Behind the Great Train Robbery.
- BAFTA, official records of the 2013 Television Awards.
