Profumo Affair Facts & Worksheets

Key Players

John Profumo

• Role: Secretary of State for War
• Involvement: Had a brief affair with Christine Keeler, while being married to one of Britain's leading film actresses, Valerie Hobson.
• Significance: His lie about the affair, and its subsequent exposure, led to his resignation. This significantly damaged the Conservative government's reputation, as it gave the impression they were covering up a scandal. The fact that he was War Secretary during a period of high Cold War tension made the situation even more sensitive.

Christine Keeler

• Role: Young model and showgirl
• Involvement: Had affairs with both John Profumo and Yevgeny Ivanov (a Soviet diplomat) simultaneously
• Significance: She was at the centre of the scandal. Her connections to both a high-ranking British politician and a Soviet official raised serious security concerns during the Cold War.

Mandy Rice-Davies

• Role: Friend of Christine Keeler, also involved in the same social circles
• Involvement: Present at key events and a witness in the trial of Stephen Ward. Famously said, "Well, he would, wouldn't he?" when Lord Astor denied having an affair with her.
• Significance: Her testimony and her famous quote captured the public's cynicism towards the establishment and the elite's denials.

Lord Astor

• Role: Wealthy socialite who hosted parties at his estate, Cliveden
• Involvement: Allegedly had an affair with Christine Keeler, which he denied
• Significance: His involvement in the affair added to the image of the upper class as being shady and hedonistic. The parties at Cliveden became symbolic of the loose morals and social connections that led to the affair.

Stephen Ward

• Role: Osteopath and artist who moved in elite circles
• Involvement: Introduced Keeler and Rice-Davies to Profumo and Astor. Arrested and put on trial for living off immoral earnings.
• Significance: Seen as a scapegoat by some. His trial brought the details of the scandal into the open, which fuelled public interest. His apparent suicide after being found guilty added to the tragedy and controversy of the affair.

Yevgeny Ivanov

• Role: Soviet naval attaché stationed in London
• Involvement: Had an affair with Christine Keeler at the same time she was having an affair with John Profumo
• Significance: His involvement raised serious concerns about a potential security breach, as Profumo had access to sensitive information. While no evidence of espionage was ever proven, the possibility raised public anxiety during the Cold War.

Aloysius 'Lucky' Gordon

• Role: Jamaican jazz singer and boyfriend of Christine Keeler
• Involvement: Had a rough relationship with Keeler, marked by jealousy and violence. He assaulted Keeler, leading to his arrest and trial.
• Significance: The publicity surrounding Gordon's trial brought Keeler to the attention of the press and public. This attention indirectly led to the revelation of Keeler's affair with Profumo, as journalists began investigating her personal life.

Johnny Edgecombe

• Role: Ex-merchant seaman from Antigua and another boyfriend of Christine Keeler
• Involvement: Became involved in a rivalry with Gordon for Keeler's affections. He fired gunshots at the door of Ward's flat where Keeler and Rice-Davies were present in December 1962.
• Significance: The shooting incident further fuelled the press' interest in Keeler and her social circle. This heightened scrutiny contributed to the eventual exposure of the Profumo affair.

Timeline of Events

1961

• 8–9 July: John Profumo meets Christine Keeler at a party hosted by Lord Astor at Cliveden House. They start an affair. Keeler characterised the relationship as unromantic, without expectations, although she also stated that Profumo had hoped for a longer-term commitment. The exact duration of their affair is unclear, with some suggesting it ended after a few weeks, while others believe it continued until December 1961.
• 9 August: Profumo is warned by Cabinet Secretary Sir Norman Brooks about the potential risks of his involvement with Ward's group, particularly with Keeler. 
• 13 August: Construction of the Berlin Wall begins, escalating Cold War tensions.

1962

• October: The Cuban Missile Crisis brings Cold War tensions to a boiling point, making any perceived security risks within the British government even more sensitive.
• 14 December: A shooting incident occurred involving Christine Keeler's ex-lover, Johnny Edgecombe, after he became embroiled in a rivalry with another of Keeler's boyfriends, Aloysius "Lucky" Gordon. Edgecombe was arrested and faced charges for his actions. After the incident, Keeler indiscreetly discussed her affairs with former Labour MP John Lewis, who was an enemy of Ward. Lewis then forwarded this information to Labour MP George Wigg, who conducted his own inquiry. Rumours of Keeler's affairs with Profumo and Ivanov began to circulate.

1963

• 21 March: Labour MP George Wigg, using parliamentary privilege, raises questions in the House of Commons about rumours linking a government minister to Keeler and a potential security risk.
• 22 March: Profumo denied any improper conduct in a statement to the House of Commons, declaring that he would take legal action for libel and slander if scandalous allegations were made or repeated outside the House.
• 1 April: The authorities become concerned about Ward's activities, and the Metropolitan Police begin to investigate his affairs.
• 5 June: Profumo confesses to lying to Parliament about his relationship with Keeler and resigns from the government in disgrace. The scandal intensifies as details of the affair and the involvement of other high-profile figures emerge in the press.
• 7 June: Gordon is found guilty of the attack on Keeler and sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
• 9 June: The News of the World publishes an article titled 'The Confessions of Christine', which contributed to the portrayal of Stephen Ward as a sexual predator and potential Soviet agent.
• 21 June: Ward is arrested and charged with living off immoral earnings.
• 28 July: Ward's trial begins. He is accused of profiting from the sex work of Keeler, Rice-Davies and two other individuals, as well as arranging for young women to engage in sexual activities with other people.
• 30 July: As the trial progresses and the scandal continues to dominate headlines, Ward takes a fatal overdose of sleeping pills and dies a few days later on 3 August.
• 26 September: The Denning Report, a government inquiry into the affair, is published. It finds no evidence of a security breach but criticises the behaviour of those involved, particularly Ward.

1964

• October: The scandal tarnished the Conservative Party, which lost the following general election.

Political Intrigue and Security Concerns

• The Profumo affair went beyond a mere personal scandal, as it raised serious concerns about national security during a period of intense geopolitical tension. The revelation of Profumo's affair with Keeler, who was also involved with Soviet naval attaché Ivanov, raised serious concerns about potential breaches in security.
• The fact that a high-ranking British official had been romantically involved with a person connected to a Soviet diplomat heightened fears of espionage and the compromise of sensitive information. The timing of the scandal, during heightened Cold War tensions, added complexity to an already volatile situation.
• The access that both Profumo and Keeler had to influential and powerful figures, along with the involvement of individuals like Ward and Rice-Davies, led to suspicions of a wider network of influence and potential security threats. The affair exposed vulnerabilities in the British establishment and raised questions about the integrity and trustworthiness of those in power.
• The public's trust in the government was severely damaged, and the Conservative Party, which was linked to the scandal, ultimately lost the next general election.

Aftermath

• Lord Denning's report on the Profumo affair, published on 26 September 1963, aimed to investigate the scandal and its potential security implications. The report concluded that there was no evidence of a security breach resulting from Profumo's affair with Keeler, despite her simultaneous involvement with Soviet naval attaché Ivanov.
• However, the report heavily criticised the behaviour of those involved, particularly Ward, whom Denning labelled 'utterly immoral' and blamed for the scandal. While aiming to quell public anxiety, the report faced criticism for potentially scapegoating Ward and for failing to satisfy public curiosity about the details of the events. Despite its attempt to provide closure, the Denning Report remains a subject of debate regarding its conclusions and handling of the situation.
• Harold Macmillan faced criticism for his initial handling of both the Profumo and the Vassal scandals, with some accusing him of being slow to take decisive action and effectively address the security risks and public concerns. 
• By the summer of 1963, Lord Poole, the chairman of the Conservative Party, had pushed Macmillan to step down. Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home replaced him. On 18 October 1963, after seven years as prime minister, Macmillan submitted his resignation.
• During the 1964 general election, the Conservative Party lost by a slim margin, and Harold Wilson of the opposition Labour Party became prime minister. The Profumo affair damaged the reputation of the Conservative Party and changed the relationship between politicians and the media, with authority being viewed with more mistrust.
• After apologising to the prime minister, his constituents and the Conservative Party, Profumo disappeared from public view. In 1964, he started helping out at the Toynbee Hall settlement, holding positions as president, chairman, fundraiser, administrator and council member. Following his 1975 appointment as a Companion of the Order of the British Empire, Margaret Thatcher went on to call him a national hero. His marriage to Valerie Hobson lasted until her death on 13 November 1998, at the age of 81. Profumo passed away on 9 March 2006, at the age of 91.