Profumo affair, in British history, political andintelligence scandal in the early 1960s that helped topple theConservative Party government of Prime MinisterHarold Macmillan. Involving sex, a Russian spy, and the secretary of state for war, the scandal captured the attention of the British public and discredited the government.

At a party at the country estate of Lord Astor on July 8, 1961, British Secretary of State for WarJohn Profumo, then a rising 46-year-oldConservative Party politician, was introduced to 19-year-old London dancerChristine Keeler byStephen Ward, an osteopath with contacts in both thearistocracy and the underworld. Also present at this gathering was a Russian military attaché,Eugene (Yevgeny) Ivanov, who was Keeler’s lover. Through Ward’s influence, Profumo began an affair with Keeler, and rumours of their involvement soon began to spread. In March 1963 Profumo lied about the affair to Parliament, stating that there was “no impropriety whatsoever” in his relationship with Keeler. Evidence to the contrary quickly became too great to hide, however, and 10 weeks later Profumo resigned, admitting “with deep remorse” that he had deceived theHouse of Commons. Prime Minister Macmillan continued in office until October, but the scandal was pivotal in his eventual downfall, and within a year the oppositionLabour Party defeated theConservatives in a national election.

Despite charges of attempted espionage, neither theFBI nor British intelligence was able to confirm or deny that Ivanov had attempted to entrap Profumo or to use Keeler as an access agent. Ivanov leftBritain before the scandal became public; back in theSoviet Union he attended the Academy of the General Staff and later served in important intelligence positions until his retirement in 1981.

Following her trial, in which she was convicted of perjury andconspiracy, Keeler sank into obscurity, though in 2001 she wrote an autobiography, which many considered an essentially worthless account of the affair. Ward committedsuicide on the last day of his trial for pimping. Profumo began a career in philanthropy and was named Commander of theOrder of the British Empire (CBE) in 1975 for his charitable work.