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John Profumo MP in 1962
John Profumo MP in 1962

The Profumo Affair was a political scandal from 1963 in the United Kingdom that is named after the then Secretary of State for War, John Profumo. List of political scandals in the United Kingdom is an incomplete list of Political scandals in the United Kingdom that have resulted from verified or alleged events The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British Cabinet -level position first applied to Henry Dundas John Dennis Profumo, CBE ( January 30, 1915 Kensington, London, England – March 9, 2006) The Profumo affair developed after Profumo had a brief relationship with a showgirl named Christine Keeler, who was also the mistress of a known Russian spy, and then lied in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it. A showgirl is a Dancer or Performer in a stage entertainment show Christine Keeler (born February 22, 1942) is an English former model and Showgirl. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The scandal forced Profumo to resign and severely damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom (Maurice Harold Macmillan 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894 &ndash 29 December 1986 was a British Conservative Politician Macmillan himself would resign a few months later owing to ill health.

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Profumo's relationship with Keeler

In the early 1960s Profumo was the secretary of state for war, a respected, high-ranking position in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, and was married to actress Valerie Hobson. The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British Cabinet -level position first applied to Henry Dundas (Maurice Harold Macmillan 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894 &ndash 29 December 1986 was a British Conservative Politician The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Valerie Hobson ( 14 April 1917 Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland – 13 November 1998 Westminster In 1961 Profumo met Christine Keeler, a London showgirl, at a house party at Cliveden, the Buckinghamshire mansion owned by Lord Astor. Christine Keeler (born February 22, 1942) is an English former model and Showgirl. Location Cliveden (pronounced CLIV-d'n is a Mansion in Buckinghamshire, England overlooking the River Thames owned by the Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. William Waldorf Astor 3rd Viscount Astor ( 13 August 1907 – 7 March 1966) was a British businessman and Conservative Party (Many years later he would claim, in discussion with his son, David, that he had met Keeler previously at a night club in London called Murray's and "probably had a drink with her. David Profumo (born 20 October 1955 in London) is an English Novelist. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. "[1]) The Cliveden party had been organized by the fashionable osteopath, Dr Stephen Ward. Stephen Thomas Ward ( 19 October 1912 &ndash 3 August 1963) was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British Profumo's wife was among those present. The relationship with Keeler lasted only a few weeks before Profumo ended it. However, rumours about the affair became public in 1962, as did the fact that Keeler had also had a relationship with Yevgeny "Eugene" Ivanov, a senior naval attaché at the Soviet embassy in London. Captain Yevgeny Ivanov ( January 11 1926 &ndash January 17, 1994) was a Soviet Naval attaché at the Russian The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. With Profumo's position in the government and with the Cold War in full swing at the time, the potential effect on national security was severe and this, along with the adulterous nature of the relationship, quickly elevated the affair into a public scandal. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Christine Keeler — the iconic Lewis Morley image, taken in May 1963, became an instant national talking point when a stolen copy was published by the Sunday Mirror, adding yet more fuel to the fire under Profumo. As the scandal intensified, it was endlessly republished.
Christine Keeler — the iconic Lewis Morley image, taken in May 1963, became an instant national talking point when a stolen copy was published by the Sunday Mirror, adding yet more fuel to the fire under Profumo. The Daily Mirror, often referred to simply as The Mirror, is a British Tabloid daily Newspaper founded in 1903 As the scandal intensified, it was endlessly republished. [2]

In March 1963, Profumo stated to the House of Commons that there was "no impropriety whatever" in his relationship with Keeler and that he would issue writs for libel and slander if the allegations were repeated outside the House. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords 1 (Within the House, such allegations are protected by parliamentary privilege. Parliamentary privilege, also known as absolute privilege, is a legal mechanism employed within the legislative bodies of countries whose Constitutions are based on ) However, in June, Profumo confessed that he had misled the House and lied in his testimony and on June 5, he resigned his cabinet position, as well as his Privy Council and parliamentary membership. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Lord Denning released the government's official report on September 25, 1963, and one month later, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigned on the grounds of ill health, which had apparently been exacerbated by the scandal. Alfred Thompson 'Tom' Denning Baron Denning, OM, PC ( 23 January, 1899 &ndash 5 March, 1999) was an English Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom He was replaced by the foreign secretary, the Earl of Home, who renounced his title to become Sir Alec Douglas-Home. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the United Kingdom Government heading the Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC (2 July 1903 - 9 October 1995 14th Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 was a British

Stephen Ward was prosecuted for living on the immoral earnings of prostitution and he committed suicide in August. Stephen Thomas Ward ( 19 October 1912 &ndash 3 August 1963) was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British Keeler was found guilty on unrelated perjury charges and she was sentenced to nine months in prison. Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Profumo died on March 9, 2006. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Cultural references to the scandal

American folk singer Phil Ochs wrote and recorded a song about the affair, "Christine Keeler", in 1963. Philip David Ochs ( December 19 1940 – April 9 1976) was a U It is available on The Broadside Tapes 1, released in 1989 by Smithsonian/Folkways Records. The Broadside Tapes 1, alternatively known as Broadside Ballads Vol Folkways Records is a Record label that documents folk and world music

Some of the events of the Profumo Affair are depicted in the 1963 film The Keeler Affair (which was never distributed) and in the 1989 film Scandal, starring John Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda, and Leslie Phillips. Scandal ( 1989) is a British Drama film, a fictionalised account of the Profumo affair. John Vincent Hurt, CBE (born 22 January 1940 is an English Actor. Joanne Whalley (born 25 August, 1961 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English Actress. Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe Award -nominated American actress. Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE (born 20 April 1924) is a BAFTA -nominated English Actor, best known for his comedy roles

The film Sweeney! (made in 1977) was a movie spin-off of the popular police drama The Sweeney, starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. The Sweeney was a British Television Police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, an elite branch of the Metropolitan John Edward Thaw CBE ( 3 January, 1942 &ndash 21 February, 2002) was an English Actor, who made his début Dennis Waterman (born February 24 1948 in Clapham, London) is an English Actor and Singer, best known for In it they get involved in a plot based on the Profumo Affair. British actor Barry Foster guest-starred as an Americanised, and more deadly, version of Stephen Ward. (John Barry Foster ( 21 August 1927 – 11 February 2002) was a British actor who played numerous film roles and gained acclaim The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Stephen Thomas Ward ( 19 October 1912 &ndash 3 August 1963) was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British [3]

The TV comedy-drama film Blore M. P. (made in 1989) starred Timothy West as a cabinet minister who also gets involved with a prostitute and faces blackmail from the Russians. Timothy West CBE (born 20 October 1934) is an English film stage and television Actor. [4]

The affair is central to the hit song "Nothing Has Been Proved", performed by Dusty Springfield and written by Pet Shop Boys. " Nothing Has Been Proved " is a song and a single release by British singer Dusty Springfield, produced by the Pet Shop Boys. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE ( 16 April, 1939 &ndash 2 March, 1999) professionally known as Dusty Springfield The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed It is also referenced in the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" with the line "British politician sex. William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. " We Didn't Start the Fire " is a song by Billy Joel that makes reference to a catalog of headline events during his lifetime from March 1949 to 1989 when the "

Christine Keeler is mentioned in the song "Post World War Two Blues" from the album Past, Present and Future (1973), written and performed by Al Stewart. Past Present and Future is Al Stewart 's fifth album released in March 1973 in the UK and in May 1974 in the US Al Stewart (born Alastair Ian Stewart, 5 September 1945 in Glasgow) is a British Singer-songwriter and folk rock Musician.

The Lewis Morley image of Christine Keeler is used on the cover of The Charlatans 1997 single release "Telling Stories".

The British post-punk group Glaxo Babies released a 7-inch single in 1979 entitled "Christine Keeler" that included a song of the same name. The Glaxo Babies were a Bristol -based UK Post-punk group formed in late 1977

Notes

  1. ^ David Profumo (2006) Bringing the House Down
  2. ^ National Portrait Gallery, NPG P512(13); Victoria & Albert museum: A modern icon
  3. ^ IMDB entry
  4. ^ IMDB entry

See also

External links

References

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