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| Mandy Rice-Davies, figure in Profumo sex scandal, dies at 70 | Mandy Rice-Davies, figure in Profumo sex scandal, dies at 70 |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Mandy Rice-Davies, a key figure in the Profumo affair, a scandal of sex and politics that rocked Cold War Britain, died Dec. 18 at 70. | Mandy Rice-Davies, a key figure in the Profumo affair, a scandal of sex and politics that rocked Cold War Britain, died Dec. 18 at 70. |
| Her PR firm, Hackford Jones, said the cause was cancer but did not disclose other details. | Her PR firm, Hackford Jones, said the cause was cancer but did not disclose other details. |
| Ms. Rice-Davies was a 19-year-old model and nightclub dancer in 1963 when her friend Christine Keeler had an affair with War Secretary John Profumo, who was married. Keeler had also slept with a Soviet naval attache. | Ms. Rice-Davies was a 19-year-old model and nightclub dancer in 1963 when her friend Christine Keeler had an affair with War Secretary John Profumo, who was married. Keeler had also slept with a Soviet naval attache. |
| The resulting collision of sex, wealth and national security rattled Britain’s establishment, almost toppled the government of Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and fascinated the nation. | The resulting collision of sex, wealth and national security rattled Britain’s establishment, almost toppled the government of Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and fascinated the nation. |
| At a trial that stemmed from the scandal, Ms. Rice-Davies was told that aristocratic party host Lord Astor denied her allegation of an affair with her. “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?” she replied from the witness box. | At a trial that stemmed from the scandal, Ms. Rice-Davies was told that aristocratic party host Lord Astor denied her allegation of an affair with her. “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?” she replied from the witness box. |
| The quip, which became much-repeated, endeared her to the public. | The quip, which became much-repeated, endeared her to the public. |
| Ms. Rice-Davies later performed on stage and in cabarets in several countries, ran a chain of restaurants in Israel and married three times to wealthy men. | Ms. Rice-Davies later performed on stage and in cabarets in several countries, ran a chain of restaurants in Israel and married three times to wealthy men. |
| “If I could live my life over, I would wish 1963 had not existed,” she later said. “The only reason I still want to talk about it is that I have to fight the misconception that I was a prostitute. I don’t want that to be passed on to my grandchildren. There is still a stigma.” | “If I could live my life over, I would wish 1963 had not existed,” she later said. “The only reason I still want to talk about it is that I have to fight the misconception that I was a prostitute. I don’t want that to be passed on to my grandchildren. There is still a stigma.” |
| However, Ms. Rice-Davies agreed to revisit the scandal to help Andrew Lloyd Webber with background for his 2013 musical “Stephen Ward” — named for the society osteopath who introduced Keeler to Profumo and was put on trial in July 1963 for living off immoral earnings. Ward’s death, from a drug overdose just before he was found guilty, was ruled a suicide. | However, Ms. Rice-Davies agreed to revisit the scandal to help Andrew Lloyd Webber with background for his 2013 musical “Stephen Ward” — named for the society osteopath who introduced Keeler to Profumo and was put on trial in July 1963 for living off immoral earnings. Ward’s death, from a drug overdose just before he was found guilty, was ruled a suicide. |
| Decades later, Lord Astor’s wife accused Ms. Rice-Davies of having lied about her affair with her aristocrat husband. | Decades later, Lord Astor’s wife accused Ms. Rice-Davies of having lied about her affair with her aristocrat husband. |
| The former dancer replied: “Me? Excuse me? What was Bill [Lord Astor] doing? I didn’t seduce Bill. I didn’t even flutter an eyelash at him. I wasn’t a temptress. He seduced me. In those days, women did not leap upon men.” | The former dancer replied: “Me? Excuse me? What was Bill [Lord Astor] doing? I didn’t seduce Bill. I didn’t even flutter an eyelash at him. I wasn’t a temptress. He seduced me. In those days, women did not leap upon men.” |
| Marilyn Rice-Davies was born near Llanelli, Wales, on Oct. 21, 1944, and grew up in a suburb of Birmingham, England. She left school at age 15 and found work as a department store model before finding it dull. She went to London and became a cabaret dancer at Murray’s Cabaret Club, earning the attention of rich older men. | Marilyn Rice-Davies was born near Llanelli, Wales, on Oct. 21, 1944, and grew up in a suburb of Birmingham, England. She left school at age 15 and found work as a department store model before finding it dull. She went to London and became a cabaret dancer at Murray’s Cabaret Club, earning the attention of rich older men. |
| One proposed marriage when she was 17. “I could have been a dowager duchess by the time I was 22,” she later said. | One proposed marriage when she was 17. “I could have been a dowager duchess by the time I was 22,” she later said. |
| She had small roles onscreen and in advertisements. She also befriended Keeler and Ward, which launched her into the orbit of upper-crust sex parties. | She had small roles onscreen and in advertisements. She also befriended Keeler and Ward, which launched her into the orbit of upper-crust sex parties. |
| After the Profumo scandal, she wed an Israeli businessman, Rafael Shaul, with whom she had a daughter. That marriage and her later one to a Frenchman, Jean-Charles Lefevre, ended in divorce. | After the Profumo scandal, she wed an Israeli businessman, Rafael Shaul, with whom she had a daughter. That marriage and her later one to a Frenchman, Jean-Charles Lefevre, ended in divorce. |
| Survivors include her third husband, British businessman Ken Foreman, and her daughter. | Survivors include her third husband, British businessman Ken Foreman, and her daughter. |
| Ms. Rice-Davies wrote a memoir, made many TV appearances, including on the show “Absolutely Fabulous,” and lived what was apparently a sumptuous life with her last husband at homes in Miami, the Bahamas and other locales. | Ms. Rice-Davies wrote a memoir, made many TV appearances, including on the show “Absolutely Fabulous,” and lived what was apparently a sumptuous life with her last husband at homes in Miami, the Bahamas and other locales. |
| She once described her life as “one slow descent into respectability.” | She once described her life as “one slow descent into respectability.” |
| Staff and wire reports |