Profumo affair, the events surrounding the resignation of the British Conservative politician John Profumo (1915– ), British Conservative politician, as Secretary of State for War. In 1963 news broke of his relationship with the mistress of a Soviet diplomat, Christine Keeler, raising fears of a security breach. He resigned after it became apparent that his formal denial of the relationship to the House of Commons could not stand.

Profumo, John Dennis (1915– ) British politician. Profumo became a Conservative member of Parliament in 1940. In 1960, he joined Harold Macmillan as secretary of war. In 1963, Profumo was forced to resign after lying to the House of Commons about his affair with Christine Keeler, a call-girl who was also involved with a Soviet naval attaché.