Politician. He was a 20th century British Conservative politician, who became the central figure of one of the most newsworthy sex scandals of the century, the "Profumo Scandal". Born the great grandson of Pietro Profumo, 2nd Baron Profumo of the Kingdom of Sardinia, his father was a British barrister of Italian ancestry. During World War II, he was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant on July 1, 1939 into the Royal Armored Corps. He served bravely in North Africa at the rank of captain before landing in Normandy on D-Day. He was engaged in the subsequent fierce fighting to secure that region of France. On December 21, 1944, Major Profumo was awarded the Order of the British Empire "in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Italy. The United States awarded him a Bronze Star "in recognition of distinguished services in the cause of the Allies". After the war, he became a member of the Conservative Party and in March of 1940, was elected to the House of Commons. A few months later Profumo was one of the 33 party rebels who voted against Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and brought down his government. After being defeated in a re-election in 1945, he was made chief of staff to the British Mission to Japan but returned to Parliament by 1950. Continuing his political career, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in November of 1952; Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in November of 1953; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in January of 1957; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office in November of 1958; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in January in 1959. In July of 1960 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan appointed Profumo to his cabinet as his Secretary of State for War. The following year, artist Stephen Ward introduced Profumo to a 19-year-old model, Christine Keeler, at a party held at the home of William Waldorf Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor. He began a months-long sexual affair with Keeler, who was simultaneously having an affair with Yevgeny "Eugene" Ivanov, an naval attaché at the Soviet Union embassy. Unknown to Ward or Profumo, MI5 was investigating Ivanov for spy activities. With the Cold War with the Soviet Union, this scenario could easily impact national security. On March, 2, 1963, George Wigg, a Labor Party MP, made a speech in Parliament, referring to rumors that Profumo was having an affair with Keeler, which Profumo denied. In June, Profumo made a personal statement, admitting he knew Keeler but denied there was any impropriety in their relationship, admitted that he lied in March in the House of Commons and resigned from his cabinet post. His political career was finished, yet no legal charges were made against him. Although he threatened to sue, the tabloid press ran headlines on the scandal, ruining reputations. The scandal damaged Prime Minister Harold MacMillian's Conservative government to the point that it contributed to his October of 1963 resignation. Ward was taken to trial for his part in the "Profumo Scandal" with vice charges, and while he was still in a coma from an attempted suicide, a guilty verdict was read in absentia in the courtroom on July 31, 1963, with him dying three days later. After leaving politics, Profumo volunteered at Toynbee Hall, a charitable institution in East End of London. For his charitable work, he was awarded in 1975 the Commander of Order of the British Empire. Apparently forgiven for his transgressions, he sat next to Queen Elizabeth at Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 70th birthday party. He was married to actress Valerie Hobson and the couple had three sons. Their oldest son was born with Down's Syndrome. After his resignation, he never mentioned his involvement with the "Profumo Scandal." Through the years, there have been several films and books written about the "Profumo Scandal" including an Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, which premiered in 2013. A BBC six-part miniseries, "The Trial of Christine Keeler," aired in December of 2019. Robertson Geoffrey's 2013 book, "Stephen Ward was Innocent" gave details of the ordeal. He died at the age of 91 from a stroke.