LONDON, UK — Newly surfaced FBI documents have implicated Prince Philip, the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, in one of Britain’s most notorious sex scandals—the Profumo affair—according to a report by the Mail on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
The documents suggest that the FBI had received information alleging Prince Philip’s involvement with Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, the two central figures in the scandal that rocked the British establishment in the early 1960s.
The affair ultimately led to the resignation of John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, and contributed to the downfall of the Conservative government.
The Profumo scandal erupted when it was revealed that Profumo had a brief relationship with Keeler while she was also involved with Eugene Ivanov, a naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy in London.
The dual liaisons raised concerns of potential security breaches and espionage, intensifying the scandal’s impact.
At the trial of Stephen Ward, an osteopath who introduced Keeler to Profumo and Ivanov, Keeler’s friend Mandy Rice-Davies famously responded to Lord Astor’s denial of their affair with, “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”
The scandal has since been immortalised in popular culture, including the 1989 film “Scandal” and the song “Nothing Has Been Proved” by Dusty Springfield.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the FBI files include a memo from then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, relaying information from U.S. businessman Thomas Corbally.
The memo states, “Corbally also stated there was a rumor Prince Philip may have been involved with these two girls.”
While the specific details of Philip’s alleged involvement remain unclear, the report has reignited speculation about his connections to the scandal.
An episode of the Netflix series “The Crown” explores the possibility that a man photographed at one of Ward’s parties could have been Prince Philip.
In the series, Queen Elizabeth II confronts Philip, who vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
Stephen Ward, a key figure in the scandal, was charged with living off the earnings of prostitution and committed suicide shortly before his guilty verdict was announced.
Ward’s role and subsequent death have since been viewed by some as a scapegoat for the indiscretions of the elite.
The Profumo affair not only captivated the public with its mix of sex, politics, and espionage but also marked a turning point in British political culture.
It contributed to the rise of satire targeting the powerful, with programmes like “Beyond the Fringe” gaining popularity.
The scandal also played a role in the Conservative government’s defeat in the 1964 general election, ushering in Harold Wilson’s Labour government.
Despite the recent revelations, the exact nature of Prince Philip’s involvement in the Profumo affair remains speculative.
His alleged connections to Keeler and Rice-Davies, and whether he was the “Mystery Man” in the infamous photograph, have never been conclusively established.
The Tory party, however, continues to face periodic scandals reminiscent of the Profumo affair’s legacy.
As with many historical scandals, the Profumo affair remains a subject of fascination and controversy, emblematic of an era when political and personal indiscretions could topple governments and captivate the public imagination.
