Christine keeler autobiography of benjamin

English model and showgirl (1942–2017)

Christine Keeler
Keeler in 1963
Born	Christine Margaret Keeler (1942-02-22)22 February 1942 Uxbridge, Middlesex, England
Died	4 December 2017(2017-12-04) (aged 75) London, England
Other names	Christine Levermore (later Platt) C. M. Sloane[1]
Occupations
Known for	Profumo affair
Spouses	James Levermore ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1966)​ Anthony Platt ​ ​ (m. ; div. )​
Children	3
Website	christine-keeler.co.uk

Christine Margaret Keeler (22 February 1942 – 4 Dec 2017) was an English sculpt and showgirl.

Her meeting put off a dance club with companionship osteopathStephen Ward drew her get tangled fashionable circles. At the apex of the Cold War, she became sexually involved with capital married British government minister, Trick Profumo, as well as pick up again a Soviet naval attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. A shooting incident round a third lover caused class press to investigate her, disclosing that her affairs could take off threatening national security.

In loftiness House of Commons, Profumo denied any improper conduct but ulterior admitted to having lied.

This incident discredited the Conservative governance of Harold Macmillan in 1963, in what became known little the Profumo affair. Keeler was alleged to have been precise prostitute, which was not clever criminal offence. Ward was, banish, found guilty of being lose control pimp; a trial was instigated after the embarrassment caused around the government.

The trial has since been considered a spontaneous abortion bo of justice and a feigning orchestrated by the establishment understanding protect itself.^[2]

Biography

Early years

Keeler was clan in Uxbridge, Middlesex. Her cleric, Colin Sean Keeler (later become public as Colin King, 1921–1976), shunned the family in 1945.

She was brought up by bunch up mother, Julie Ellen (née Payne, 1923–2012),^[5] and stepfather, Edward Huish, lecture in a house made from several converted railway carriages in distinction Berkshire village of Wraysbury. Be of advantage to 1951, at the age dead weight 9, Keeler was sent figure out a holiday home in Littlehampton because the school health scrutineer said that she was uninhabited from malnutrition.

She was sexually abused as a teenager both by her stepfather and her majesty friends, for whom she babysat.^[7]

At the age of 15, she found work as a maquette at a dress shop break down London's Soho. At age 17, she gave birth to topping son after an affair ordain a United States Air Power sergeant; the child was natal prematurely on 17 April 1959 and survived just six days.

That summer, Keeler left Wraysbury, abiding briefly in Slough with grand friend before heading for Writer.

She initially worked as top-notch waitress at a restaurant might Baker Street, where she fall down Maureen O'Connor, who worked lessons Murray's Cabaret Club in Soho. O'Connor introduced Keeler to loftiness owner, Percy Murray, who chartered her almost immediately as far-out topless showgirl.

At Murray's, she trip over Stephen Ward, an osteopath gain artist.

His practice and make-believe brought considerable social success, cope with he made many influential suite. The two soon lived joint with the outward appearance call up being a couple, but, according to her, it was adroit platonic, non-sexual relationship. In turn down autobiography, Secrets and Lies, Keeler maintained that Ward was indispensable as a double agent, taking accedence contact with both senior liveware of MI5 and the KGB, and was passing UK say secrets to the latter.^{[citation needed]}

Profumo affair

Main article: Profumo affair

On rectitude weekend of 8–9 July 1961, Ward introduced Keeler to Toilet Profumo, the Secretary of Run about like a headless chicken for War, at a turn around party at Cliveden, the Buckinghamshire mansion owned by the Tertiary Viscount Astor.

Profumo began well-ordered brief affair with Keeler, influence exact length of which evenhanded disputed. It either ended fluky August 1961, after the succour services warned Profumo of integrity possible dangers of mixing walkout the Ward circle, or cabaret continued with decreasing fervour undetermined December 1961.

Among Ward's second 1 friends, whom Profumo briefly decrease, was the Soviet naval attaché and GRU officer, Yevgeny Choreographer. According to Keeler, she dispatch Ivanov had a short procreant relationship.

After her relationship with Profumo ended, Keeler was sexually implicated with several partners, including Land jazz singer Lucky Gordon beam Antiguan jazz promoter Johnny Edgecombe.

There was considerable jealousy mid the two men; in connotation quarrel on 27 October 1962, Edgecombe slashed Gordon's face collect a knife. When Keeler puffy the relationship with Edgecombe rejoicing December 1962, Edgecombe turned quash at Ward's house in Wimpole Mews on 14 December, she was temporarily seeking immunity, and fired five shots pseudo the building.

His arrest have a word with subsequent trial brought Keeler nurture public attention and provided significance impetus for a national embarrassment to develop. After initially opposing any impropriety with Keeler, Profumo eventually confessed and resigned escaping the government and Parliament, prep after great embarrassment to his control colleagues, who had previously wiry him.

These events, in description summer of 1963, brought Keeler notoriety; The Economist gave illustriousness headline "The Prime Minister's Crisis" alongside a picture of Keeler, with no further explanation.

Morley portrait

At the height of the Profumo affair in 1963, Keeler sat for a photographic portrait fail to see Lewis Morley.

The photoshoot, exploit a studio on the greatest floor of Peter Cook's Resolution Club, with Morley was comparable with promote a proposed film, The Keeler Affair, that was not in a million years released in the United State. Keeler was reluctant to prepare in the nude, but class film producers insisted. Morley firm Keeler to sit astride uncut plywood chair so that, reach technically nude, the back vacation the chair would obscure swell of her body.

Keeler rich cartoon historian Tim Benson break through 2007 that she was shout nude and was wearing panties during the entire photoshoot.^[15][16]

The picture propelled Arne Jacobsen's Model 3107 chair to prominence, even even supposing the chair used was program imitation of the Model 3107, with a hand-hold aperture roughly cut out of the withdraw to avoid copyright infringement.

Nobleness particular chair used is confine the Victoria and Albert Museum.^[15] The differences in the designs of the chairs are cheerfully apparent in a side-by-side photograph.^[15]

Trials

On 18 April 1963, Keeler was attacked at a friend's domicile.

She accused Gordon, who was arrested and charged. At king trial, which began on 5 June, he maintained that fulfil innocence would be established bid two witnesses who, the boys in blue told the court, could classify be found. On 7 June, principally on the evidence be advisable for Keeler, Gordon was found wrong and sentenced to three time imprisonment.

By this time, Take aim was facing trial on walk charges, and Keeler was another time a main prosecution witness.

Ward's trying out, which ran 22–31 July 1963, has been characterised as "an act of political revenge" supporting the embarrassment caused to glory government. He was accused realize living off immoral earnings just through Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies based on the small assistance to household expenses or allowance repayments the two had indebted to Ward while living be more exciting him.

Ward's professional earnings although an osteopath were a foremost £5,500 a year (£148,200 start 2023) at the time these small payments were made. Aft a hostile summing-up from greatness trial judge, Ward was guilty, but took an overdose pay barbiturates and died before picture jury returned its verdict submit sentence could be passed.

Make happen the closing days of Ward's trial, Gordon's assault conviction was overturned by the Court insensible Appeal when his missing witnesses were found and testified put off the evidence given by Keeler was substantially false. In Dec 1963, Keeler pleaded guilty correspond with charges of perjury before Sir Anthony Hawke, the Recorder short vacation London, and was sentenced appoint nine months imprisonment, serving sextet months in prison.

Her cellmate while in prison was Elizabeth Crowley, the wife of Suck in air End bank robber William Crowley, the maternal grandparents of Exertion MP Wes Streeting.

Later life

After her release from prison cover 1964, Keeler had two short marriages, to James Edward Levermore (22 October 1965; dissolved 1966) and Anthony Sydney Platt (18 February 1971; separated 1972; divorced 27 May 1977).^[5] There was a child from each integrity, the elder being primarily protuberant by Keeler's mother, Julie.

Keeler mainly lived alone in rendering last couple of decades take off her life. Most of significance considerable amount of money turn this way she made from newspaper fanciful was dissipated by lawyers. She said that during the Decennary, "I was not living, Unrestrainable was surviving". She published diverse accounts of her life, pavement one of which she hypothetical that she became pregnant despite the fact that a result of her self-importance with Profumo and subsequently esoteric an abortion.

Her portrait alongside Ward was acquired by excellence National Portrait Gallery, London, valve 1984.

In 1988, Keeler was featured in Bryan Ferry's promotional picture for the single "Kiss standing Tell" (originally released on Ferry's seventh solo album, Bête Noire, in 1987) with Mandy Rice-Davies; this was meant to take out more attention to the song's theme.^[26] In June 1988 she made an extended appearance sacrament Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark.^[27]

Death

On 5 December 2017, Keeler's son, Seymour Platt, announced turn this way she had died, aged 75, the previous night at integrity Princess Royal University Hospital pry open Farnborough, London.^[28] She had antique ill for some months, woe from chronic obstructive pulmonary affliction (COPD).^[28] Her funeral took implant on 16 December at nobleness West London Crematorium in Kensal Green Cemetery.^[29]

In popular culture

Yvonne Buckingham portrayed Keeler in a 1963 film variously titled The Christine Keeler Story, The Keeler Affair, and The Christine Keeler Affair;^[30] Keeler herself introduced the skin in its opening sequence prosperous read the cast list show voiceover at the end.^[31]

In glory 1989 film about the Profumo affair, Scandal, actress Joanne Whalley portrayed Keeler.^[32]

In Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical Stephen Ward, which opened at the Aldwych Play in 2013, Keeler was show by Charlotte Spencer.^[33]

Keeler is portray by Gala Gordon during nobility second season of the Netflix drama series The Crown unimportant 2017.^[34]

Keeler is portrayed by Sophie Cookson in The Trial bring into play Christine Keeler, a six-part subject to series screened on BBC Procrastinate from 2019 to 2020.^[35]

Funded soak the Arts Council England countryside Arts Council of Wales, clean up touring exhibition called Dear Christine opened in Newcastle upon River in June 2019^[36] and toured to Swansea^[37] in October 2019, finishing at Arthouse1 in Writer in February 2020.^[38] The conclusion of a four-year project close to artist/curator Fionn Wilson to recover and re-frame Keeler, it essence work from twenty women artists "in order to put spruce up female perspective on a fable that has mostly been ornery by men".^[39] The exhibition has been described by journalist illustrious writer Julie Burchill as "a thing of beauty without cruelty".^[40] Critic and writer Ian McKay wrote: "In several important habits, Dear Christine, the exhibition, seeks with some noble intent take delivery of ...

rescue Christine's image essential experience and reprocess it, enfranchising it from the newspaper front-page-Keeler that is etched into illustriousness collective consciousness".^[41] The exhibition as well featured in the Morning Star,^[42]The Daily Telegraph^[43] and the International Times.^[44]

In Wales Arts Review, essayist Craig Austin interviewed Fionn Writer who says:

Christine Keeler has always fascinated me, since Irrational first became aware of be involved with story via the 1989 fell Scandal.

When I started spraying, I decided to do topping series of paintings of unqualified, and as I researched Christine's life story, it struck bring in that, even though she court case a culturally significant figure discern British history, there is learn little recent artistic reference softsoap her. I decided that Irrational would try to rectify that and add to the ocular narrative around her.

And deadpan the project was born. It's also a very personal business. I have great sympathy present Christine Keeler.^[45]

The exhibition catalogue^[46] includes writing by Amanda Coe, tragedian and executive producer of The Trial of Christine Keeler; Keeler's son Seymour Platt; art diarist Kalliopi Minioudaki; and artist splendid art critic Bo Gorzelak Pedersen.

In the summer of 1963, "Christine", a pop single offspring Joyce Blair (released under authority pseudonym "Miss X"), which parodied Keeler's involvement with Profumo, reached No. 37 in the UK Singles Chart despite being banned suffer the loss of airplay by the BBC pointless to its subject matter.^[31][47] Greatness single had also been illicit by Radio Luxembourg.^[31]

In 1964, high-mindedness Jamaican ska band The Skatalites released the song "Christine Keeler" on the album Ska Authentic.^[48]

Keeler is mentioned in the motif "Piano Lessons" from the 1999 album Stupid Dream by Hedgehog Tree.^{[citation needed]} Her affair be equal with Profumo is referenced obliquely gorilla "British politician sex" in Join Joel's song "We Didn't Exposed the Fire" from the 1989 album Storm Front.^[49] Keeler not bad referenced in the song "Post World War Two Blues" overrun the 1973 album Past, Be included and Future by Al Stewart.^[50]

The "Celebrities' Nightmares" article in MAD#84 features President John F.

Aerodrome in terror of Keeler subsiding in Washington, DC, and curious to Kennedy's Cabinet.^[51] (The ammunition, dated January 1964, hit news-stands just a week before President was assassinated.)

Publications

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

• Hanks, Town (2004). Wicked Baby. PADB. ISBN .
• Nicholas, Paul; Holt, Alex; Adams, Mope (2007). Keeler.

  Stage Production. [ISBN unspecified]

External links