Timeline of Events

1912

19 October – Stephen Ward born

1915

30 January – John Profumo born

1926

11 January – Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Ivanov born

1942

22 February – Christine Keeler born

1944

21 October – Marilyn Rice-Davies born

1958

Keeler’s son Peter is born prematurely but dies six days later

22 March – Keeler attains first modelling job, Tit-Bits photoshoot

April – Keeler leaves Wraysbury

1959

January/February – Keeler has moved to Slough with her aunt, later she moves to St John’s Wood Park and then Swiss Cottage in London

Late spring/early summer – Keeler starts work at Soho’s Murray’s

Summer – Keeler meets Ward and moves into Orme Court (as friends)

1960

January – Keeler moves into Rachman’s Bryanston Mews house with Sherry Danton

27 March – Ivanov arrives in England

Keeler moves back to Orme court

At Murray’s, Keeler meets Rice-Davies

Keeler and Rice-Davies move into shared flat in Comeragh Road

4 November – Lucky Gordon, who is living in Denmark, is imprisoned for stabbing a girl, and will be deported back to UK

Keeler becomes Rachman’s mistress

1961

20 January – Coote invites Ivanov to Garrick Club where he meets Ward

January/February – Lord Astor gives Christine a cheque for £100 that she uses to pay the rent on the flat she shares with Rice-Davies

Rice-Davies becomes Rachman’s mistress

February – Keeler and Rice-Davies holiday in France together

Keeler and Rice-Davies move into Holland Park flat, but Keeler later leaves to move in with a boyfriend

March – Keeler, having broken up with her boyfriend, moves into 17 Wimpole Mews with Ward

Rice-Davies moves in with Peter Rachman

Ward asks Keeler to drop a package to Ivanov at the Russian Embassy, which she does

June – Keith Wagstaffe visits Wimpole Mews

8/9 July – The Profumos, Ward, Ivanov and Keeler all attend pool party at Cliveden

11 July – Keeler tells Rice-Davies that Ward is looking for details of atomic bomb delivery

12 July – Ward informs security services that Ivanov had asked him to find out when atomic weapons would be delivered to Western Germany on behalf of the Americans. Ivanov implies he will help Ward with a visa to Russia in return for information. Ward offers to send correct information to Russia via Ivanov so that Russia doesn’t make decisions based on false information.

2 August – Astor writes to Foreign Office (FO) about Ward and his friendship with Ivanov, also suggesting Ward could pass correct information to Russia via Ivanov

9 August – Sir Norman Brook warns Profumo about Ward, causing Profumo to write ‘Darling’ letter to cancel their plans

4 September – Gordon arrives in UK

18 September – Ward returns to FO to repeat his offer to act as information funnel to Russian, FO declines

October – Ward, Keeler and a friend head to El Rio café to buy cannabis, and Keeler meets Gordon

Having given Gordon her number, Keeler and Ward head out on a double date to a party with him and a woman for Ward. Keeler feels unwell and Ward takes her home, giving Gordon their address

Gordon regularly visits Wimpole Mews and harasses Keeler until she agrees to a date. When Keeler visits Gordon’s flat, he rapes and holds her hostage there for twenty-four hours, using a knife to threaten her

Keeler escapes and tells Ward, but he discourages her from reporting her assault

Gordon attacks Keeler in front of Ward outside Wimpole Mews

December – Ivanov reported to be putting out Soviet propaganda re: Germany

Keeler and Profumo’s affair ends

Rice-Davies and Keeler move into Dolphin Square, Pimlico

1962

January – Rice-Davies leaves Dolphin Square flat Keeler has an illegal abortion

21 February – Sir Godfrey Nicholson MP speaks to FO about Ivanov

28 February – Nicholson sends Ivanov a letter outlining government’s views on disarmament

6 March – Nicholson tells Foreign Secretary Ivanov is asking for British position on Berlin

8 March – Nicholson sets out British position on Berlin in a letter to Ivanov

13 March – Ivanov asks Nicholson about British position on Oder-Neisse line

14 March – Nicholson replies with a letter outlining government’s view on Oder-Neisse line

Ivanov takes leave and returns to Russia

March/April – Gordon attacks Keeler at Dolphin Square, and then rapes and holds her hostage with another girl for two days until Keeler escapes and the police are called

Gordon’s family convince Keeler to drop charges against Gordon, but Gordon continues to stalk Keeler, with Keeler eventually leaving Dolphin Square to return to Wimpole Mews. Gordon continues to harass Keeler at her new home

28 May – Ward reports a letter from Ivanov sending his regards to Nicholson and telling Ward he will see him in June

May – Keeler meets Michael Lambton, she moves into Kinnerton Street with him, and they get engaged

2 June – Ivanov returns to UK

5 July – Rice-Davies and Keeler head to the US via liner, Lambton pays for their passage

18 July – Rice-Davies and Keeler return to UK by plane, Keeler returns to Wimpole Mews

September – Keeler meets Paula Hamilton-Marshall and Johnny Edgecombe

Keeler moves to Sheffield Terrace with a friend and Edgecombe moves in

Keeler buys a gun to protect herself from Gordon, begins relationship with Edgecombe

September/October – Rice-Davies moves into Wimpole Mews with Ward

Early October – Gordon punches Keeler to the ground near Comeragh Road

20 October – Keeler and Edgecombe move to Bayswater Hotel

24 October – Ward tells FO that Ivanov believes the UK is the only hope for conciliation between Soviets and USA during Cuban Missile Crisis

25 October – Keeler asks Ward for her old room back

25 October – Nicholson tells FO Ivanov has visited hoping to hear Britain wants negotiations to proceed at summit

Ward gives FO same account

Lord Astor tells Lord Arran a Russian official wants to pass information to the British government

26 October – Ward telephones Lord Arran to ask if he and Ivanov can visit

27 October – Ward and Ivanov visit Lord Arran to pass on a message to the British government that Khruschev would accept a summit if Britain called one to break Cuba deadlock. Arran reported to FO and Admiralty House

27/28 October – Gordon chases Keeler, Edgecombe slashes Gordon’s face, Ward collects Keeler’s things from hotel, but Keeler decides to go to Brentford for four days with Edgecombe

28 October –Arran dines with Astor at Cliveden to find Ward and Ivanov there, Khruschev’s decision to removed Cuban missiles had become known

31 October – Keeler finishes relationship with Edgecombe and stays at Wimpole Mews for a few days

Ward introduces Keeler to Michael Eddowes, but Keeler is not attracted to him, so she declines any further dates

Dr Savundra rents the Wimpole Mews room for the purpose of taking girls there, Rice-Davies sleeps with him and he gives her £20

1 November – Keeler rents flat in Great Cumberland Place with Rosemary Wells

Rice-Davies moves into Wimpole Mews

7 November – Ward writes to Harold Wilson telling him that he had been the intermediary sending the message about the proposed summit with Khruschev

8 November – Gordon pleads guilty to insulting words and behaviour against police and is fined

29 November – Rachman dies, Rice-Davies is devastated and attempts suicide

14 December – Edgecombe shooting incident takes place

15 December – Edgecombe arrested, and newspapers show an interest in Keeler and Profumo

Keeler and Rice-Davies move to Great Cumberland Place, Lord Astor visits and Rice-Davies says they have sex

Keeler tells Eddowes about Profumo, Ivanov and the bomb

Police interview Keeler several times asking about Edgecombe and then Ward

Gordon turns up at Keeler’s mother’s home

23 December – Keeler and Paul Mann attend a party; there they meet John Lewis. Keeler tells Lewis about Profumo and Ward asking her about the bomb

1963

January – to put an end to harassment, Keeler agrees to meet Gordon at the Flamingo Club then again at the end of the month at his brother’s flat, hoping this will be the last time

16/17 January – Edgecombe’s committal proceedings, Keeler gives evidence

19 January – Gordon fined £5 for possessing an offensive weapon, Keeler pays the fine

22 January – Keeler meets Mandy, Nina Gadd and her fiancée, who is a

Sunday Pictorial journalist

23 January – Keeler agrees to sell the Pictorial her story, and hands over the ‘Darling’ letter

26 January – Chief Inspector Burrows serves notice on Keeler for Edgecombe trial; Keeler tells him about her relationship with Profumo

29 January – Tom Corbally tells US Embassy that the Daily Mirror has a story that will topple the government concerning Profumo, Ivanov and Keeler

29 January – Ivanov leaves Britain

End of January – Profumo says Astor has told him Keeler is to sell her story to the Sunday Pictorial, mentioning Ivanov

John Lewis tells George Wigg MP about Keeler and Profumo’s affair

1 February – A director of a Sunday newspaper visits Admiralty House to report that he knows the Profumo Affair story is being sold to papers and that it mentions Profumo and Ivanov

3 February – News of the World run ‘Model in shots case’ front page featuring Keeler

4 February – Ward’s flat is broken into, photos are stolen

5 February – Ward visits Marylebone police and makes a statement about break-in, and about Profumo and Keeler, saying it could bring down the government

8 February – Edgecombe trial adjourned, Keeler and Rice-Davies agree to do story with Pictorial

Keeler and Rice-Davies move into Edgware Road flat together Ward moves into Bryanston Mews

8 March – Westminster Confidential publishes allegations against

Profumo

Keeler is worried about appearing at Edgecombe trial and plans to escape abroad

Gordon breaks into her flat when she is there with Kim Proctor, their friend Paul Mann arrives, and they escape and flee to France

9 March – Keeler arrives in Spain

10 March – Wigg attends party with Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle, they discuss potential political scandal

13 March – Denning Report shows Profumo now aware of Westminster Confidential article

14/15 March – Edgecombe trial continues without Keeler; Edgecombe is acquitted of Gordon assault but convicted of firearm charges and sentenced to seven years

15 March – Daily Express run story of Edgecombe trial’s missing witness, Keeler

Spring Cottage burgled

17 March – the Sunday Pictorial run Ward’s story instead of Keeler’s, the News of the World run a piece on Keeler written by Peter Earle

21 March – Wigg, Barbara Castle and Crossman raise rumours in House of Commons, Castle refers to Keeler as a ‘call girl’

22 March – Profumo makes a personal statement to the House

23 March – Rice-Davies, accompanied by reporters, visits Keeler’s mother, Julie Payne, looking for Keeler, Eddowes visits Payne

24 March – Keeler’s parents visit Colnbrook police station, and Keeler’s earning potential from her story is discussed

24 March – News of the World says Keeler has sent a postcard to Pauline

Hamilton-Marshall from Spain. It identifies Ivanov as a friend of Keeler’s

25 March – Wigg appears on Panorama and says Ward and Ivanov are security risks

26 March – Ward complains to Wigg about inaccuracies in his TV appearance, and that he has lost out on possible earnings by suppressing the story while others profit from it, Wigg reports to Harold Wilson, who in turn brings it to Harold Macmillan

27 March – Home Secretary Henry Brooke meets with Met Chief Sir Joseph Simpson and Roger Hollis, Head of MI5, to discuss Ward

28 March – Keeler and Proctor return from Spain and are interviewed by police

Keeler moves into Devonshire Street with Hamilton-Marshall and her brother John

29 March – Eddowes tells Special Branch Keeler told him Ivanov asked her to find out from Profumo when nuclear warheads would be delivered to West Germany

1 April – Keeler appears at Old Bailey for failure to attend Edgecombe trial, onlookers and press gather outside, Gordon is there and assaults her

1 April – Met police begin to investigate Ward

4/5 April – Police interview Keeler about Ward

7 April – News of the World publish story about Keeler

12 April – Gordon assaults John Hamilton-Marshall at Devonshire Street

17 April – Ward stands surety for Gordon

John Hamilton-Marshall and Keeler have a physical fight, Keeler suffers a cut above her eye.

John leaves, then Rudolph Truello Fenton and Clarence Camacchio arrive

18 April – in the early hours, Keeler, Fenton and Camacchio head out of flat to go dancing and are accosted by Gordon who attacks Keeler, Paula Hamilton-Marshall calls the police

As requested by the men, Keeler’s witness statement of the events excludes Fenton and Camacchio

18 April – Keeler moves to Notting Hill

19 April – Gordon arrested for assault on Keeler and interviewed by police about Ward

23 April – Rice-Davies arrested at Heathrow for driving licence fraud, spends nine days in Holloway

May – Rice-Davies appears in court, leaves for Majorca but is re-arrested when she returns for TV theft charge

26 April – Gordon committal

7 May – Ward complains to PM’s Private Secretary that police enquiries are damaging his reputation and that the Keeler/Profumo relationship amounts to more than has been admitted

May – Keeler poses for iconic Lewis Morley photos

20 May – Ward complains to Home Secretary Henry Brooke, Wilson and Sir Wavell Wakefield about the police enquiries and says he no longer feels he should keep quiet about Profumo lying to the House

Keeler sees Ward at Bryanston Mews for probably last time

21 May – Ward gives press statement, but no papers run his story

25 May – Wigg raises national security in House of Commons

27 May – Edgecombe’s appeal dismissed

27 May – Robin Drury tapes interview with Keeler and she mentions Fenton and Comacchio

4 June – Profumo resigns

5 June – Gordon trial for Keeler assault begins, after first day Gordon decides to self-represent

7 June – Gordon is convicted of ABH, sentenced to three years

Drury asks for £15k to turn tapes into a book, Keeler refuses so tapes are burnt but Drury keeps a copy and later asks for £10k to not give the tapes to the police

8 June – Ward arrested for living off immoral earnings

9 June – Sunday Mirror publishes ‘Darling’ letter

News of the World runs ‘Confessions of Christine’ story, and continues it on 16 and 23 June

11 June – Gordon gives notice of appeal

Eddowes tells press Ivanov asked Keeler for information

14 June – Rice-Davies interviewed by police, during which she mentions sex parties including infamous ‘man in mask’ event

17 June – Parliament debates security

24 June – Lord Denning opens his Inquiry

28 June – Ward committal proceedings

3 July – Ward given bail

6/7 July – John Hamilton-Marshall tells police he was responsible for Keeler’s injuries

Drury gives his tapes to police

7 July – The People discover Camacchio

July – Denning interviews Keeler, who has become convinced Ward is a spy

16 July – Police interview Camacchio

18 July – Police interview Fenton

22 July – Ward trial begins

30 July – Gordon appeal is upheld

30 July – Ward takes an overdose after summing up at his case

31 July – Ward remains in coma in hospital, but trial continues, and he is found guilty

3 August – Ward dies

6 September – Keeler, Paula Hamilton-Marshall and Olive Booker are arrested and charged with perjury

Keeler buys Linhope Street house

25 September – Denning Report released

2/3 October – Perjury case committal proceedings

18 October – Macmillan resigns

6 December – Keeler pleads guilty to perjury as advised, sentenced to nine months in Holloway

1964

8 June – After serving six months, Keeler released, returns to Linhope Street

1966

Astor dies

1993

Prime Minister John Major decides to keep secret documents related to Denning Report confidential until 2048

Keeler travels to Russia to meet Ivanov as he promotes his memoir

1994

17 January – Ivanov dies

2006

9 March – Profumo dies

2010

26 September – Edgecombe dies

2014

18 December – Rice-Davies dies

2017

15 March – Gordon dies

4 December – Keeler dies