The
Profumo affair was a British political scandal that originated with a brief sexual relationship in 1961 between
John Profumo, the
Secretary of State for War in
Harold Macmillan's government, and
Christine Keeler, a 19-year-old would-be model. In March 1963, Profumo denied any impropriety in a personal statement to the
House of Commons, but was forced to admit the truth a few weeks later. He resigned from the government and from Parliament. The repercussions of the affair severely damaged Macmillan's self-confidence, and he resigned as prime minister on health grounds in October 1963. His
Conservative Party was marked by the scandal, which may have contributed to its defeat by
Labour in the
1964 general election.