a gentleXXX guide to successful social drinking is dedicated to the scandal of the so-called Profumo affair. A sex and politics scandal from 1961, as a result of which the Conservative British government resigned. Strictly speaking, it should be called the Keeler-Profumo-Ivanov affair, at least it's about her, Christine Keeler, who is not shown. Christine Keeler came to London when she was 17, intending a career as a fashion model. She was taken in by Stephen Ward and appeared as an escort at parties. At one party, she met John Profumo, 29 years her senior and currently acting Secretary of State for War. An affair began. At the same time, she had an affair with Yevgeny Ivanov, the Soviet naval attaché, who was also a spy. Profumo was asked by the secret service to end the affair. Journalists had got an inkling of this and confronted the minister. Profumo publicly denied the affair in the House of Commons. The lie did not last long and the Conservative government resigned as a result. The fact that Christine Keeler was still a minor under the law at the time and Profumo was married hardly seemed to bother anyone, as if there was a gentleman's agreement. The lie in front of the other gentlemen was unforgivable. Profumo's career as a politician ended there. He worked in charity organisations and remained a respected member of the upper class. Until well after her death in 2017, Christine Keeler was the woman who being reduced to scandal.
This spatial essay essentially consists of
Swinging 1963
Public Secrets
Under the Glass

2024