John Dennis Profumopictured right with the Queen After studying at Harrow and Oxford, Profumo entered Parliament as a Conservative member in 1940 and left in 1945 for an appointment as chief of staff in Japan. Returning to Parliament in 1950, he held several posts, eventually becoming secretary of war in 1960. He resigned from the cabinet in 1963 after lying to the House of Commons about his affair with Christine Keeler, who was also involved with a KGB agent.
Christine Keelerpictured left A 19 year old Murray’s Club showgirl who came to London and exchanged an unhappy past for excitement and adventure.
Dr Stephen Ward The society osteopath who mixed in influential circles and was known for introducing pretty girls to the aristocratic set.
Eugene Ivanov The assistant Naval Attaché to the USSR embassy. A cultured Russian who enjoyed the high life, he was considered a spy by MI5.
Mandy Rice Daviespictured right A teenage model from Birmingham and a dancer at Murray’s She shared Christine’s ability to attract rich older men.
”Lucky” Gordon and Johnny Edgecombe Christine’s two West Indian lovers who fought for her attention.
Part One: The Minister and the Showgirl meet
A rare weekend away found John Profumo (sometimes known as Jack) – War minister in a conservative government that had held power for 10 years – and his actress wife Valeric Hobson at Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire. Just one hours drive from London, Profumo’s close friend Lord Astor often held extravagant parties there attended by the rich, famous and influential. This July in 1961 Astor had 30 guests for dinner.
19 year old showgirl and model, Christine Keeler, was also attending a party on the Cliveden estate, at the riverside cottage that Lord Astor rented to his osteopath, Stephen Ward. The 47 year old Ward and Keeler flatted together in London, and she was a regular visitor to the retreat.
That Saturday, 8 July, was incredibly hot. Ward had an invitation from Lord Astor to use the swimming pool, and his party was keen to cool off. Keeler chose an ill fitting suit from several provided by Lord Astor for his guests, and laughing Ward suggested she take it off. Moments later she was naked and diving into the pool. It was getting very late when a group of Astor’s guests, catching the sounds of splashing and laughter drifting from the pool, decided to wander down and take a look. Astor and Profumo walked ahead of the group, and were confronted by a naked dripping and embarrassed Keeler, grabbing a towel to cover herself. Ward had flug her swimming costume into some bushes. Lord Astor made the introductions, Mrs Profumo offered Christine a swimsuit and Ward and his friends were invited to the house.
Once at the house Profumo took Christine on a guided tour. In the mood for fun, Christine let Profumo dress her in one of the suits of armour at the manor, and everyone laughed. Lord Astor invited Ward’s group for another swim the next day. Sunday dawned hotter than the previous day. Christine had invited two of her girlfriends and Ward’s friend Ivanov. They headed for the pool.
Profumo and Ivanov fought for Christine’s attention with boisterous water games. Keeler liked Ivanov, thinking he was a real mans man. By the end of the weekend Profumo had gotten Keelers phone number from Ward, but she went home with Ivanov. Ward heard all the details the following day, remarking “Goodness, with your friend Eugene one hand and your new friend (Profumo) you could start a war!”
A month earlier Ward had been approached by MI5 about his friendship with Ivanov, and the Wednesday following the weekend at Cliveden he mentioned that the war minister, Christine and Ivanove had spent the weekend in each others company…..
The first ‘date’ between Keeler and Profumo was a drive around London in the ministerial limousine. Although the young woman did not find John Profumo handsome, his aura of power both impressed Keeler and appealed to her. Profumo began to visit Keeler at Ward’s Wimpole Mews flat. He would usually take her for a drive until the coast was clear. She recalls, ‘Jack and I became lovers the third time he came around…We started laughing and talking as usual, then there was one of those electric potent silences…without a word we were embracing and he was kissing me.’
Despite possible worry about his wife, Profumo once took Keeler home, a grand Nash house in Regents Park. ‘It was late,’ said Keeler. ‘The butler and the rest of the staff were in bed…We crept around the lovely rooms. And then we got into their bedroom...'The couple made love, said Keeler, on the Profumos’ bed. The Minister exuded power. Sleeping with Profumo was, she reflected later, the way other people might feel about making love to a film star such as Marlon Brando.
The couple also made love in his car, and, once, in Regents Park. His presents to her included a Flaminaire cigarette lighter and £20 ‘fore her mother’ – a polite way of paying for her services. Keeler later summed up the liaison as ‘a very well mannered screw of convenience; only in other people’s minds, much later, was it “An Affair”.’
Warning Signs
However, on 9 August, when the ‘affair’ was barely a month old, Profumo was warned about his liaison by the government’s Cabinet Secretary, Sir Norman Brook. On the advice of Sir Roger Hollis, head of MI5, who had heard of the Profumo-Keeler-Ivanov triangle from Keith Wagstaffe, he wanted to warn Profumo to be careful what he said when he met Ward. The osteopath was a sometimes indiscreet chatterbox, and might pass on snippets of information, dropped during casual conversation, to Ivanov.
MI5’s greater purpose, however, was that Profumo might be a ‘lead-in’ to Ivanov, as part of a ‘honeytrap’ operation to compromise the Russian sexually, and thus encourage him to pass secrets or defect. Profumo turned down MI5’s request. Caught out in sexually folly, Profumo must have known that his glittering career and marriage were at risk – helping the MI5 scheme was just another unnecessary complication.
Within hours of seeing Brook, Profumo sat down to write what was to be his ‘goodbye’ letter to Keeler. Profumo spent the summer recess with his family. As far as he was concerned, the matter was resolved.
John Dennis Profumo pictured right with the Queen After studying at Harrow and Oxford, Profumo entered Parliament as a Conservative member in 1940 and left in 1945 for an appointment as chief of staff in Japan. Returning to Parliament in 1950, he held several posts, eventually becoming secretary of war in 1960. He resigned from the cabinet in 1963 after lying to the House of Commons about his affair with Christine Keeler, who was also involved with a KGB agent. 
Christine Keeler pictured left A 19 year old Murray’s Club showgirl who came to London and exchanged an unhappy past for excitement and adventure.
Mandy Rice Daviespictured right A teenage model from Birmingham and a dancer at Murray’s She shared Christine’s ability to attract rich older men.