June Rose Bellamy, Burmese princess who married a dictator and later taught cookery – obituary
She hoped by marrying Ne Win to help the Burmese people, but the marriage lasted only five months
June Bellamy as a young woman
June Bellamy, who has died aged 88, was a resourceful princess of the Konbaung dynasty that ruled Burma (now Myanmar) from 1752 to 1885; in 1976-77 she was briefly married to General Ne Win, the Burmese dictator who seized power in a coup in 1962, before ending up as the founder and owner of a cookery school in Italy.
June Bellamy’s father, Herbert Bellamy, was an Australian adventurer, horse breeder and bookmaker who became a familiar figure on the racing circuit in Bombay, Calcutta and Batavia (now Jakarta), before settling at the Rangoon racecourse.
This super-hip spot near Mercato Centrale has won a host of awards for its artisanal cocktails. Bar manager Michel Granpasso Orlando devised this wintry drink to make the most of the citrus fruit in season right now, but insists the recipe is not a rule. “Have fun and play with the quantities of honey, lime and rum to suit your tastes. I really like to use Sichuan pepper for its unusual numbing sensation you can find it for an affordable price at ViviMarket, near San Lorenzo. Make plenty of the salt and pepper mix as you can use it for margaritas too.”