British Politician Sex

In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, a political scandal known as the Profumo affair emerged in the United Kingdom. It was named after Jon Profumo, who was the secretary of State for war. Profumo had had a relationship with a showgirl named Christine Keeler, who was also the mistress of a Russian spy. The two had met at a house party in 1961. Although the affair only lasted a few weeks, rumors became public in 1962. Given his position in government amongst the events of the Cold War, the rumors quickly elevated into a public scandal. During this time, it was suspected that Keeler also had an affair with Yevgency “Eugene” Ivanov, a naval attaché at the Soviet embassy in London When Profumo was questioned about his relationship in the House of Commons in 1963, he claimed that he had done nothing wrong, but later confessed that he had lied in his testimony. The scandal caused him to resign that same year. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan also resigned due to health issues, which he claimed were exacerbated by the affairs, as his conservative reputation had been severely damaged. Christine Keeler was found guilty on perjury charges, and sentenced to nine months in prison. John Profumo died in 2006, after suffering a severe stroke.

Sources:

"Scandalous Women: Christine Keeler and The Profumo Affair". May 25, 2009 <http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/2008/03/christine-keeler-and-profumo-affair.html>.

Sullivan , Monica. "Scandal". Movie Magazine International. May 25, 2009 <http://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/scandal.html>.