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| Mandy Rice-Davies, Figure in Britain’s Profumo Affair, Dies at 70 | Mandy Rice-Davies, Figure in Britain’s Profumo Affair, Dies at 70 |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — Mandy Rice-Davies, a former nightclub dancer and model who achieved notoriety in 1963 in one of Britain’s most spectacular Cold War sex scandals, died on Thursday. She was 70. | LONDON — Mandy Rice-Davies, a former nightclub dancer and model who achieved notoriety in 1963 in one of Britain’s most spectacular Cold War sex scandals, died on Thursday. She was 70. |
| Her publicist said in confirming the death that Ms. Rice-Davies had had a “short battle with cancer.” | Her publicist said in confirming the death that Ms. Rice-Davies had had a “short battle with cancer.” |
| Ms. Rice-Davies, known in later years by her married name, Marilyn Foreman, made headlines as Britons followed news reports that a cabinet minister, John Profumo, had shared a mistress, Christine Keeler, with a Soviet defense attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. The scandal raised questions about national security and rocked the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan. | Ms. Rice-Davies, known in later years by her married name, Marilyn Foreman, made headlines as Britons followed news reports that a cabinet minister, John Profumo, had shared a mistress, Christine Keeler, with a Soviet defense attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. The scandal raised questions about national security and rocked the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan. |
| Ms. Rice-Davies shared lodgings with Ms. Keeler but never met Mr. Profumo, who died in 2006. | Ms. Rice-Davies shared lodgings with Ms. Keeler but never met Mr. Profumo, who died in 2006. |
| In March 1963, Mr. Profumo went before Parliament to deny any “impropriety whatever” with Ms. Keeler. But he resigned three months later as details of the relationship emerged, forcing him to admit that he had lied to Parliament. | In March 1963, Mr. Profumo went before Parliament to deny any “impropriety whatever” with Ms. Keeler. But he resigned three months later as details of the relationship emerged, forcing him to admit that he had lied to Parliament. |
| After his fall from high office in disgrace, Mr. Profumo turned to charitable work among the poor in the East End of London. | After his fall from high office in disgrace, Mr. Profumo turned to charitable work among the poor in the East End of London. |
| Details of what became known as the Profumo affair emerged in court hearings at the trial of Stephen Ward, an osteopath, who had introduced Mr. Profumo and Ms. Keeler at a party at the Berkshire country home of the aristocratic Lord Astor. Mr. Ward took a drug overdose just before he was found guilty on two counts of living off immoral earnings and died a few days later. | Details of what became known as the Profumo affair emerged in court hearings at the trial of Stephen Ward, an osteopath, who had introduced Mr. Profumo and Ms. Keeler at a party at the Berkshire country home of the aristocratic Lord Astor. Mr. Ward took a drug overdose just before he was found guilty on two counts of living off immoral earnings and died a few days later. |
| Ms. Rice-Davies always said that Mr. Ward had not been a pimp. | Ms. Rice-Davies always said that Mr. Ward had not been a pimp. |
| Mr. Ward’s story was the basis of a musical named after him by Andrew Lloyd Webber that opened in London late last year and closed after only a few months. At the time, Ms. Rice-Davies appeared in publicity photographs with Mr. Lloyd Webber and Charlotte Blackledge, who played her in the show. | Mr. Ward’s story was the basis of a musical named after him by Andrew Lloyd Webber that opened in London late last year and closed after only a few months. At the time, Ms. Rice-Davies appeared in publicity photographs with Mr. Lloyd Webber and Charlotte Blackledge, who played her in the show. |
| In court hearings in 1963, the public learned of what seemed to be lurid activities involving aristocrats, government officials, diplomats, spies and call girls. | In court hearings in 1963, the public learned of what seemed to be lurid activities involving aristocrats, government officials, diplomats, spies and call girls. |
| As the hearings unfolded, Ms. Rice-Davies gained renown for a pithy response to being told that Lord Astor had denied that he had slept with her. | As the hearings unfolded, Ms. Rice-Davies gained renown for a pithy response to being told that Lord Astor had denied that he had slept with her. |
| “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?” she said, according to one of several possibly apocryphal versions of her comment. (Others quoted her as saying, “He would, wouldn’t he?” or, “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”) | “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?” she said, according to one of several possibly apocryphal versions of her comment. (Others quoted her as saying, “He would, wouldn’t he?” or, “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”) |
| The remark was seen as a sign of a new lack of deference in 1960s Britain, as the country struggled for greater prosperity and as the class system that had shielded the upper crust from scrutiny came under assault from newly assertive ordinary people. | The remark was seen as a sign of a new lack of deference in 1960s Britain, as the country struggled for greater prosperity and as the class system that had shielded the upper crust from scrutiny came under assault from newly assertive ordinary people. |
| “It was an age of deference,” Ms. Rice-Davies said in a BBC interview this year. “People still doffed their caps.” | “It was an age of deference,” Ms. Rice-Davies said in a BBC interview this year. “People still doffed their caps.” |
| Ms. Rice-Davies stuck to her account of the relationship with Lord Astor despite subsequent denials by his family. She also insisted that her role had not been that of a prostitute. She wrote an autobiography, “Mandy,” in 1989. | Ms. Rice-Davies stuck to her account of the relationship with Lord Astor despite subsequent denials by his family. She also insisted that her role had not been that of a prostitute. She wrote an autobiography, “Mandy,” in 1989. |
| “The only reason I still want to talk about it is that I have to fight the misconception that I was a prostitute,” she said at one point, according to The Press Association news agency. “I don’t want that to be passed on to my grandchildren. There is still a stigma.” | |
| In later life she said she wished that the events of the early 1960s had never happened. | In later life she said she wished that the events of the early 1960s had never happened. |
| She also said that the era’s renown for unbridled licentiousness was exaggerated. “In those days, there were good girls and there were bad girls,” she told The Associated Press last year. “Good girls didn’t have any sex at all, and bad girls had a bit.” | She also said that the era’s renown for unbridled licentiousness was exaggerated. “In those days, there were good girls and there were bad girls,” she told The Associated Press last year. “Good girls didn’t have any sex at all, and bad girls had a bit.” |