Unholy Joy: 50 Years On - A Short History of the Profumo Affair

Named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War, the Profumo Affair was the biggest British political scandal of 1963. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Soviet spy, followed by his lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of Profumo and damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government.

Here, John Lawton explores how the scandal evolved and the effect it had upon the population of an increasingly liberated Britain.


Unholy Joy went on to become the basis for a novel. A Little White Death has its roots in the Profumo affair, the correspondences will be apparent to the reader... but the 'buds and leaves' are Lawton's fiction.

This kindle edition includes an extract from A Little White Death.