Barbara Stonehouse passed away in 2014. She was the wife of John Stonehouse, a British politician who faked his own death in 1974.
Barbara Stonehouse was married to John Stonehouse, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party, who became infamous for his attempt to fake his own death. The incident occurred in 1974 when John Stonehouse left a pile of clothes on a Miami beach, leading people to believe he had gone swimming and drowned. In reality, he was attempting to escape financial difficulties and start a new life in Australia with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, with whom he was having an affair.
The plan failed when he was arrested in Australia, mistaken for the fugitive Lord Lucan. After his true identity was revealed, he was extradited to the UK, where he faced trial and was convicted on charges of fraud, theft, and forgery. He served three years of a seven-year sentence.
Barbara Stonehouse stood by her husband during the initial scandal, but they later divorced in 1978. She lived a relatively private life following the events that brought her unwanted public attention. Her death in 2014 marked the end of a life that had been touched by one of the most bizarre political scandals in British history.
