The First Lady

April Ashley was a "Vogue" model, the lady of the manor and a glamorous young woman, yet she was living with a secret that was to shake the world.

She became the world's most famous transsexual when her secret was revealed in 1970.

The revelation ruined her marriage to war hero Arthur Corbett and left her battling against prejudice in a time when gender operations were a taboo subject.

Christened George Jamieson in 1935, she was one of nine children brought up by a drunk sailor.

She felt disillusioned with her physical appearance and gender and soon suffered great self-loathing as she became withdrawn from her family.

After a suicide attempt and electric shock treatment, she decided to go through with a sex-change operation.

Since then, she has never looked back becoming a beautiful woman with a glamorous life.

In the 1960s and 1970s, she was adored and her popularity was at an ultimate high.

Having slept with an array of big names such as Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole and a one night stand with Michael Hutchence, April was much in demand.

Indeed, although she agreed to be photographed by David Bailey yet refused to sit for Picasso and Dali as they were deemed too lecherous!