John Profumo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Profumo
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Profumo in 1938
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| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office 27 July 1960 – 5 June 1963 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Christopher Soames |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Godber |
| Minister of State for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 16 January 1959 – 27 July 1960 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Allan Noble |
| Succeeded by | David Ormsby-Gore |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | |
| 1958–1959 | Foreign Affairs |
| 1957–1958 | Colonies |
| 1952–1957 | Ministry of Transport |
| Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon |
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| In office 23 February 1950 – 6 June 1963 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Angus Maude |
| Member of Parliament for Kettering |
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| In office 6 March 1940 – 15 June 1945 |
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| Preceded by | John Eastwood |
| Succeeded by | Dick Mitchison |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Dennis Profumo
30 January 1915 London, England |
| Died | 9 March 2006 (aged 91) London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Children | David Profumo |
| Parents | Albert Profumo Martha Thom Walker |
| Alma mater | Brasenose College, Oxford |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1950 |
| Rank |  Brigadier |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
John Dennis Profumo (born January 30, 1915 – died March 9, 2006) was a British politician. His career ended in 1963 due to a major political scandal. This event became known as the Profumo affair. It led to his resignation from the government led by Harold Macmillan.
After leaving politics, Profumo dedicated his life to charity work. He volunteered at Toynbee Hall, a charity in East London. He became their main fundraiser. These efforts helped him regain public respect. In 1975, he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
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Early Life and Military Service
Profumo was born in Kensington, London. His father, Albert Profumo, was a diplomat with Italian family roots. John attended Harrow School and then Brasenose College, Oxford.
In 1939, he joined the Royal Armoured Corps as a second lieutenant. He had been a Cadet Sergeant at Harrow. He served in North Africa during World War II. He was part of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry. He landed in Normandy on D-Day in 1944. He fought bravely to secure that part of France. His highest rank in the British Army was Brigadier.
In 1944, he received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his distinguished service in Italy. In 1947, he was given the Bronze Star Medal by the United States. This award recognized his service to the Allies.
Political Career and Rise to Power
In 1940, while still in the Army, Profumo became a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented Kettering for the Conservative Party. He was elected in a special election on March 3.
He was the youngest MP at the time. He later became the last surviving member of the 1940 House of Commons. In 1945, he lost his seat in Kettering. He then left the Army in 1950. In February 1950, he was elected MP for Stratford-on-Avon. This was a safe seat for the Conservative Party.
Profumo was well-respected in his party. He had a strong war record. He steadily moved up in the Conservative government. This government was elected in 1951. He held several important roles. These included Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1952. He also served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Colonies in 1957. In 1959, he became Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. In July 1960, he was appointed Secretary of State for War. In 1954, he married the actress Valerie Hobson.
The Profumo Affair and Resignation
The Profumo affair was a major political scandal in 1963. It involved John Profumo and a young woman named Christine Keeler. Rumors about their connection began to spread.
In March 1963, a Labour MP, George Wigg, spoke about the rumors in Parliament. He used Parliamentary privilege to do so. This meant he could not be sued for what he said. Profumo then made a statement to the House of Commons. He admitted knowing Keeler. However, he denied any "impropriety" in their relationship. He also threatened to sue newspapers that said otherwise.
Profumo's statement did not stop the rumors. It soon became clear that he had not told the full truth. On June 5, 1963, Profumo had to admit that he had lied to Parliament. Lying to Parliament is a very serious offense in British politics. Profumo resigned from his government position. He also gave up his seat in the House of Commons.
His relationship with Keeler was never shown to have harmed national security. However, the scandal greatly affected the Conservative government. Many believe it contributed to their defeat in the 1964 election. The Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, resigned later in 1963 due to health reasons.
Profumo never spoke publicly about the affair again. This was true even when a film called Scandal was made in 1989. He was also portrayed in the musical Stephen Ward in 2013. More recently, he was played by Ben Miles in the BBC drama The Trial of Christine Keeler (2019/2020). He also appeared in the Netflix series The Crown.
Later Life and Legacy
After his resignation, Profumo began working as a volunteer at Toynbee Hall. This charity helps people in the East End of London. He worked there for the rest of his life. He became the charity's chief fundraiser. He used his political skills to raise a lot of money. He did all this work as a volunteer.
His wife, Valerie Hobson, also dedicated herself to charity work until her death in 1998. Many people believed that Profumo's charity work made up for his past mistakes. His friend, Lord Longford, greatly admired him for it.
In 1975, Profumo was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He received this honor from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. This showed that he had regained public respect. In 1995, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher invited him to her 70th birthday dinner. He sat next to the Queen.
Profumo rarely appeared in public in his later years. His last public appearance was in 2005. This was at a memorial service for Edward Heath.
Death and Tributes
On March 7, 2006, Profumo had a stroke. He passed away two days later, on March 9, 2006, at the age of 91. He was surrounded by his family.
After his death, many people said he should be remembered for his charity work. They felt this was as important as the scandal that ended his political career. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried next to his wife's.
See also
In Spanish: John Profumo para niños
