Christine Keeler | |
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.jpg) Keeler in 1963 | |
| Born | Christine Margaret Keeler 22 February 1942 Uxbridge, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 4 December 2017 (aged 75) Farnborough, London, England |
| Other names |
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| Occupations |
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| Known for | Profumo affair |
| Spouses | James Levermore
(m. 1965; div. 1966)Anthony Platt
(m. 1971; div. 1977) |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | christine-keeler |
Christine Margaret Keeler (22 February 1942 – 4 December 2017) was an English model and showgirl. Her meeting at a dance club with society osteopath Stephen Ward drew her into fashionable circles. At the height of the Cold War, she became sexually involved with a married Cabinet minister, John Profumo, as well as with a Soviet naval attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. A shooting incident involving a third lover caused the press to investigate her, revealing that her affairs could be threatening national security. In the House of Commons, Profumo denied any improper conduct but later admitted to having lied.
This incident discredited the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan in 1963, in what became known as the Profumo affair. Keeler was alleged to have been a prostitute, which was not a criminal offence. Ward was, however, found guilty of being her pimp; a trial was instigated after the embarrassment caused to the government. The trial has since been considered a miscarriage of justice and a charade orchestrated by the establishment to protect itself.[2]
- ^ Thompson, Douglas (6 December 2017). "My friend Christine Keeler – the original femme fatale who felt she didn't deserve to be happy". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ Keeler, Profumo, Ward and Me. BBC Two. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2020.