The sordid story of the Profumo Affair gives a fascinating insight into the impact that people’s personal lives can have on a nation when they make misguided decisions.
Central to the story is an English showgirl and model, Christine Keeler, who was working in London’s Soho and was involved in what she claimed was a platonic relationships with a man named Stephen Ward. In 1961, Ward introduced Keeler to the then UK Secretary of State for War, John Profumo.
The married MP and the showgirl’s first meeting took place at a pool party thrown at Lord Astor’s Buckinghamshire mansion, Clivedon, and the two started an affair that would prove extremely problematic for the UK government at the time.
Profumo’s affair with Keeler continued while she was also having affairs with Yevgeni Ivanov, who worked as a naval attaché at the Soviet Union embassy, not to mention her affair with drug dealer Johnny Edgecombe.
The head of MI5 felt strongly enough about the affair to speak directly to Cabinet Secretary Sir Norman Brook, who instructed Profumo to end the affair.
In 1989, a film entitled Scandal, was made about the affair.
Do you think Keeler was involved in espionage?
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