The Profumo affair was a 1960s British political scandal involving War Secretary John Profumo and 19-year-old model Christine Keeler, with whom he had a brief extramarital affair.

At the same time Ms Keeler had a fling with a Russian Naval Attache (and KGB agent, Yevgeny Ivanov). Profumo denied the affair in a statement to the House of Commons, a lie later exposed by a police investigation. This damaged the credibility of Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, leading to his resignation as Prime Minister in October 1963. 
However, this intriguing story has many victims. Christine's friend and benefactor Stephen Ward, Mandy Rice Davis a close friend, even John Profumo may have considered himself unjustly punished. And of course, Christine Keeler, imprisoned, ridiculed and abused by a vengeful establishment.

Paul Barwick