Secret government files, newly released at the National Archives, have exposed the full extent of former War Secretary John Profumo's confidential testimony about his affair with teenage showgirl Christine Keeler, a scandal that brought down a government and has captivated Britain for over sixty years.
The 'Strictest Confidence' of a Sordid Affair
Speaking to senior judge Lord Denning, who was producing a government report on the scandal in 1963, John Profumo was assured his words were in the 'strictest confidence'. He proceeded to describe his sexual relationship with the 19-year-old Christine Keeler as a 'rather sordid fleeting affair'. The former cabinet minister, then 46, admitted the intimacy occurred 'three or four times' at the Marylebone flat of society osteopath Stephen Ward, behind the back of his wife, actress Valerie Hobson.
Profumo recounted the first meeting at the Cliveden House estate in Berkshire during the Cold War, where guests were gathered around a swimming pool. He told Denning, 'I did take her into the other room and I have no doubt I put my arm around her... I was conscious of finding her very attractive.' He stated that this led to intimacy 'within a few days' at Ward's Wimpole Mews flat.
A 'Simple' Girl and a Security Warning
In a stark reflection of his attitude, Profumo repeatedly derided Keeler's intellect to the judge. He described her as 'singularly simple' and 'ill-educated', claiming she had 'no sort of mind'. He related driving her around London in a Mini Minor, suggesting she had never seen landmarks like Parliament before.
The testimony reveals Profumo was 'warned off' by cabinet secretary Sir Norman Brook, who alerted him that Stephen Ward was a potential security risk and that Soviet spy Eugene Ivanov was often 'about the place'. Keeler had also been in a relationship with Ivanov, making national security a central theme of the scandal. Profumo interpreted the warning as the authorities knowing he 'had been going with this girl'. He claimed he subsequently cut ties with both Ward and Keeler.
The Fallout and a Lasting Legacy
The affair exploded into public view after Profumo failed to suppress the story with legal threats. Profumo was forced to resign in 1963 after admitting he had lied to the House of Commons when he previously denied any 'impropriety'. The fallout was immense; Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigned six months later, his authority shattered.
Stephen Ward died by suicide in July 1963, just days before he was due to be sentenced for living off immoral earnings. Lord Denning's final report concluded there had been no security breach, though it was later widely criticised as a whitewash.
Vanessa Holburn, author of 'The Profumo Affair', told Metro the files show 'what little regard Profumo had for Christine, which is a sad reflection of his sense of entitlement.' She added, 'He was the wrongdoer, but it was Christine, and Stephen Ward, who paid the price.' Professor Darren Lilleker of Bournemouth University said the transcript reveals Profumo's 'self-importance' and shows he 'viewed Keeler purely as a sexual object'. Christine Keeler, who later changed her surname and worked in menial jobs, died in December 2017.
