Prince Philip has been named in a secret FBI document involving the Profumo sex scandal. J Edgar Hoover, who was the principal of the FBI at the time, suggested that Prince Philip was entangled with two women named Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davis.
John Profumo Lied About Having An Affair With 19-Year-Old Christine Keeler.
Keeler and Rice-Davis were at the heart of the scandal that brought down the government. The Profumo affair, which took place in July 1961, was a major scandal in British legislation.
John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan’s traditional government, had an affair with 19-year-old model and dancer Christine Keeler while married to British actress Valerie Hobson.
In March 1963, he lied about the affair to Parliament, but it was later confirmed that he did, in fact, have extramarital relations with Keeler.
He later resigned, claiming he “deeply regretted” deceiving the House of Commons. The scandal had security implications because Keeler was also sleeping with a Russian spy named Yevgeny Ivanov, which was a massive security risk.
There have long been rumors and speculation that the Duke of Edinburgh was involved with Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davis. Keeler was also linked with American actor Warren Beatty.
The claim against Prince Philip came from a US businessman involved in industrial espionage named Thomas Corbally, who was friends with Stephen Ward, an osteopath who introduced Keeler to John Profumo.
Ward was known to “procure” girls for leading Establishment members. Prince Philip was said to be a frequent guest at many of Ward’s gatherings.
Ward was also said to be a member of the “Thursday Club,” Philip established with Lieutenant Commander Michael Parker.
It was allegedly a gang of “cronies” with whom the Duke of Edinburgh used to spend time to escape his “serious life” at Buckingham Palace.
The Profumo Scandal Was Depicted On “The Crown”
Ward later committed suicide three days before being convicted. The controversy was most recently depicted on Netflix’s royal family drama, “The Crown.”
In the Netflix series, Queen Elizabeth’s Curator of Art, who turned out to be a Soviet Spy, Anthony Blunt, warned Prince Philip that he would expose him over his relationship with Ward in response to the Duke threatening to expose Blunt’s treachery.
The episode “Mystery Man” suggested that Queen Elizabeth didn’t know who her husband was in private matters.
While wildly popular, “The Crown” has often been criticized for its sometimes false and unflattering depiction of the royal family.
The Profumo affair was the most notorious sex scandal the British government had ever faced. Keeler lived with Ward at one point, but it wasn’t a sexual relationship. She stayed at his apartment in London and his London cottage.
Philip had apparently been in contact with Ward on several occasions. He had also been drawn by the artist at Buckingham Palace.
Ward’s association with Keeler triggered accusations that Ward was immoral. Keeler wasn’t a prostitute, but she was linked to several wealthy men and benefitted significantly from their generosity.
Keeler served four and a half months for perjury after lying that she had been assaulted. While nothing was officially proven, the idea that Prince Philip was even indirectly associated with this scandal would have been incredibly damaging.
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