Corruption of Justice in England. 12/3/24
Caroline Kennedy had worked alone to gather information about Ward's relationship with M15, who dumped him when his link threatened to become an embarrassment. There was Wards own tape- recorder, interviews with 80 of his friends or enemies and FBI documents. Russian Intelligence, Operation BowTie (Risk Management) , J Edgar Hoover and Attorney General Robert Kennedy also. Lord Goodman described Ward as the historic victim of a historic injustice a "British Dreyfus."
1956 Sexual Offences Act. This Ward story is about the Trial of the Century. Ward was a guest at many tables at the Thursday Club with Prince Phillip, Baron Nahum, David Mitford Haven artist Feliks Topolski, Lord Boothby. Was at Sarah Churchills wedding.
Ward was a rational intelligent and persuasive person. Edgecombe's girlfriend Christine Keeler and her friend Mandy Rice Davis
John Profumo was the British Secretary of State for War a married man had the making of a future Prime Minister he was having an affair with Christine Keeler. (Richard Crossman and Barbra Castle were aware of these rumor's) British press were scared to write about this because of the libel laws. However some of this was printed in Europe and the US, Yevgeny Ivanov the assistant naval attaché at eh Soviet Embassy also shared a bed with Christine.
1961 Major Gagarin (cosmonaut) at the Soviet Embassy in London. Both Profumo and Ward were invited there to meet him.
Lucky Gordon a boyfriend was arrested and accused of assaulting Christine June 6th he was sentenced to 3 years. Mandy was taken off and plane and arrested. Ward was arrested and charged for living and earning from prostitution.
Front page of the Daily sketch had a picture of a woman kissing a Ivanov. This was the wife of US embassy Thomas Watson Murphy. Newsweek wrote the New Pornocracy.
Christine said she would be the another Lady Hamilton, The Conservatives Party were in their greatest array since the Suez fiasco.
Ward in 1932 in Paris understood that tourists were more interested in the nightspots than the Eiffel Tower. He studied to be an osteopath in Kirksville Missouri. Chicago was far more American than NY and he explored the brothels and prostitutes'. After 5 years he had a medical degree as an osteopath and had cast off his English inhibitions. A girl who promised to marry him when he returned from Missouri probably married someone else. He worked as a medic during the war in India. There he managed to get an interview with Mahatma Gandhi.
Duncan Sandys wife was Churchills daughter and he was invited to treat Winston and this enhanced his reputation and he got lots of clients. Wards professional and private life began to overlap and his patients became his friends.
Andrew Ferrier a Fleet St artist and cartoonist and his wife Freda held parties in their home for New Years Eve, Baron Nahum, Maxie Taylor , Theodore Bikel, Burn Ives , Lauren Bacall, Peter Ustinov and Lawrence Harvey with Zsa Zsa Gabor were guests.
In Wards circle he deliberately mixed people from many backgrounds. He said to hell with conventions that set up social barriers that prevented him knowing ordinary people. He liked listening tho women and helped solve their problems he seldom went to bed with them and perhaps he had homosexual tendencies. He was present with group sex taking place but was the only man who never removed his pants. He was fascinated by prostitutes and occasionally went to bed with one.
1949 Married Patricia Baines but when she understood his sexual views of independence, 6 weeks after she moved into his flat they divorced and after that he never became emotionally attached to anyone.
Bill Astor became one of his clients, and he took Astor to the exciting of coffee bars , drinking clubs and bottle parties.
The Profumo family were an entrenched in the British establishment, they were English landed gentry. His father was a barrister a King's Councilor. In 1940 Profumo was one of the Conservative MPs who led a revolt against Chamberlin. In the army he rose to Lieutenant and by 1944 he was liaison officer with Field Marshal Alexander. In Japan he was in the British Liaison commission to Douglas Mc Arthur.
One example of Wards creativity is he took Valerie and transformed her into Vicky Martin reconnected her with her grandmother introduced her into Mayfair society and she became a model for photographers Baron Nahum, Antony Beauchamp and Vasco Lazzolo painted her portrait, She died in a car accident aged 23.
On Bill Astor's estate of Cliveden where he entertained many guests including Ward, Ward saw an unused cottage and got permission to fix it up and use it over weekends, where he was available to give treatments. Philip de Zulueta private secretary to the Prime Minister Harold Mc Millian and Sir Malcolm Sargeant the conductor Tommy Steele would drop in on Ward.
One party at Cliveden included the Queen and Prince Phillip, Peggy Bancroft , the Rothchild's and Richard Todd's.
Margaret Brown genuinely wanted to marry Ward but he had to drop her as he would not commit to marriage.
1959 Christine Keeler from, Wraysbury realized the power of her sexual attractiveness. She was banned as a baby sitter as she flaunted with the husbands. At age 16 she gave birth to a premature baby that died soon afterwards the father was an American GI at the nearby base. She got a job at Murrays Club one of 45 dance girls and was a true nymphomaniac and became a leading showgirl. She was living at Wards apartment and then became Peter Rachman's mistress. He was a notorious slum lord. Later she fell out with him and returned to Ward.
Marylin Rice -Davies called Mandy and she was one organized other girls including Christine in managing their finances. Mandy efforts were fruitless with Christine and they shared a flat. Rachman bought Mandy a Jaguar for her 17th birthday with a forged driving license.
1959 Bill passed that made street prostitution an offence, The Wofrended Report called to decriminalize homosexualism but was defeated in parliament.
1960 Brush and Palette was a diner where pretty girls posed nude for artists to paint. Hugh Leggatt an art dealer suggested that Ward put on an exhibit of portraits. Amongst the people he did was Paul Getty, PM Harold Macmillan, Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell, Sophia Loren ,Douglas Fairbanks. This would take Ward from a amateur to a professional. Later Prince Phillip, Princess Margaret.
1960 March, Captain Yevgeny Ivanov assistant naval attaché. arrived in London to be one of 63 members of the Soviet Embassy. He would liven up the restricted lives of the Soviet diplomats.
1960 test case on Lady Chatterley Lover which was unbanned, and Penguin books sold 2 million copies of it in the next 8 months.
1962 Eichmann Trial The Daily Telegraph sent Ward to Israel to do drawings for the press rather than photographs. Then he got the idea sketch Soviet leaders. He got a visa but no appointments, then Coote of Daily Telegraph introduced him to Ivanov.
Ward tutors Ivanov in bridge and as his English improved they became big pals. Ward took him to English homes where no Soviet diplomat had ever been, and Ward was invited to all Soviet Embassy parties and was at the huge reception to receive Yuri Gagarin. Gagarin was the first Soviet astronaut to get back from space? He met the Soviet Minister of Culture Madam Furstova and wrote notes on their open conversation and Ivanov had to beg him not to publish that. Ivanov met Christine at Mandy's flat. Everybody at the Russian Embassy was a spy. A defector had revealed that Ivanov was a spy.
Ward had been asked to report to M15 about Ivanov which he did faithfully to a Mr Woods (alias) But information the Soviets wanted passed on was in this way. Ivanov was trying to find out when nuclear missiles would come to Germany.
1961 July 8th at a dinner at Bill Astors mansion Christine Keeler was swimming and had taken her costume off when Bill Astor and Jack Profumo went for a walk. Ivanov and Profumo met at Cliveden. Ivanov visited Christine flat and she said they were in bed together. Profumo showered Christine with gifts and money, he was only interested in her sexually who wanted her to leave Ward and move to a flat he would provide. He could now be blackmailed by the Russians. Ward already knew too much of the Profumo affairs with Christine. Ward was an avid reader of spy novels and now he was in a real life drama.
1961 In the Berlin crises Ivanov through Ward could be an unofficial communication with the Soviet Union to foreign secretary Lord Home. George Wigg MP was an old soldiers and so was Profumo and so the could trust each other? William Vassall the homosexual Admiralty clerk was convicted of spying for Russia. Hohn Lewis was informed forget about Vassall you want to look at Profumo. Ward had introduced Ivanov to Profumo as well as Lord Mountbatten, Paul Getty, Nubar Gulbeklan and Sir Godfray Nicholson and dined in the House of Commons
1961 Christine met Lucky Gordon then she returned to her old boyfriend Michael Lambton who gave Christine 500 pound and she and Mandy wanted to try their luck in the States, this adventure lasted 2 weeks, but it came to the attention of J. Edgar Hoover.
1962 October the 12 day missile crises. America knew that Khrushchev was bluffing as the Soviets did not have the capacity to attack, nor did Khrushchev have the support of his colleges. the US. The Russian were trying to put a wedge between the UK and America but Lord Home told the Russians they stood by the Anglo American accord.
MP William Shepherd had close link to M15 and that he should know everything about the goings on in Wards flat. I objected to the immoral behaviors of half a dozen minister in Macmillan's government, as well as homosexuality and a minister involved with young boys.
1962Rachman died of a heart attack, Mandie suffered real grief and then discovered that Audrey had only been Married to Rachman for 2 years.
Wards introductions had set Maureen on the road to stardom.
The Russians decided to return Ivanov home and left without even saying good bye.
1963 started with what was known as the Profumo Affair. Ward was getting tired of Christine's coming and going, but the press were becoming interested in her. She gave a letter from Profumo to the Sunday for 1000pounds, she had slept with him at the same time sleeping with Ivanov. She was approached to cancel the contract about the letter but she wanted compensation for this. Now stories of sex orgies at Cliveden, that Wards was a bad influence on young girls as he picked them up and dropped them. He was a procurer of women for gentlemen in high places.
By now the MI5 felt the Profumo case like that of Ivanov was closed and did not want to be involved.
Edgecombe trial Edgecombe confronted Gordon with a knife in the Flamenco club on 27 October 1962, and Gordon required 17 stitches in the face. Edgecombe took a taxi to the Marylebone home of osteopath Ward where Keeler was in hiding along with friend Mandy. When she refused to come out, he fired at least five shots at the front door with a semi-automatic pistol in an unsuccessful attempt to shoot out the lock on the door. He fled from the scene before the police arrived, but was arrested later that evening. Christine was supposed to give evidence but did not arrive at court with Keeler's non-appearance at his trial at the Old Bailey in March 1963 finally giving the British press the excuse it needed to publish the story. Edgecombe had to be acquitted but was convicted of possessing a firearm with the intention to endanger life. Christine on an impulsive moment left for Spain.
2 journalist Foster and Mulholland were jailed for refusing to reveal thier sources to the Vassail Tribune, it was argued that they were right to defy the law. Richard Crossman and George Wigg from the Labour Party claimed that the Paris Press had by now probably published the whole story, even Barbra Castle now decided that Labour could not neglect the issue. Profumo said my wife and I had an open invitation to visit Ward hinting he was not there alone. But to explain his acquaintances with a 21 year old girl? Christine was portrayed as a sex goddess.
Ivanov a junior naval officer that drove expensive sports cars and wore Savile Row suits was frequently in West End night clubs. Ward could not be charged under the Official Secrets Act. Civil servants wanted to find something to charge Ward on and convinced Christine that Wards carefree attitude to life was sinister. Ward would be charged on procuring and living on the immoral earnings of taking a sizable amount of prostitutes'. He used girls to gain influence with people in power.
The police started questioning his patients and they began cancelling appointments. When Lord Astor returned from the US he was thoroughly questioned by Herbert so he asked Ward to vacate his cottage at Cliveden. Mandy refused to cooperate in evidence against Ward but they took away her passport.
Lucky Gordon was charged of assaulting Christine. If he helped with a statement that could help convict Ward the police would drop the charges. At this stage all Fleet Street editors believed the rumours about Profumo were true. Profumo tendered his resignation. The PM Harold Macmillan was fighting for his political life.
News of the world paid 24,000 pounds for Confessions of Christine. Sunday Mirror published Profunos letter to Christine.
1963 June Kim Philby disappeared from Beirut , after being a KGB mole for 30 years reappeared in Moscow, but the full Philby story only appeared in 1967
Macmillan slogan "We've never had it so good" became " We've never had it so often " By John Kennedy visiting British it gave Macmillan a reprieve of 24 hours.
Astor, Wards oldest friend was not going to give evidence on Wards behalf the others would decline.
1963 June at the Old Bailey was to be the Trial of the Century. The judge was the type who personally felt an moral indignation at the lifestyle Ward adopted.
Griffith Jones had been a morally outraged prosecutor at the "Lady Chatterley's Lover" trial.
The trial could have been at a magistrates court by Wards lawyer advised a jury court. The prosecutor painted a picture of Ward as a sexual reprobate, that Ward went for sexual foursomes. There was nothing for the police to lie about when the witnesses were lying.
Christine had lied at the Gordon trial so her evidence at the Ward trial was now suspect and she was sentence to 9 month imprisonment for perjury. If Ward was convicted the press would be free to print stories that otherwise might be libel.
When Mandy was asked in court about lord Bill Astor's denial that he had sex with her, she replied "he would say that wouldn't he" implying that rich and powerful men are all liars. This caught the nations mood.
3 American friend each sent Ward $1000 but would not be prepared to be questioned by Griffith Jones on the sexual preferences. With the prosecutions last word Ward left the old Bailey with his girlfriend Julie Gulliver and swallowed enough Nembutal to kill a horse. All the writers, playwrights who had stood ball for Ward sent a card to the funeral saying To Stephen Ward Victim of Hypocrisy.
Meanwhile a well dressed man walked into Bloomsbury Art Gallery where Wards drawing were on display and spent £11,517 on every drawing of the Royal Family. This would have left Wards very well off. What started as a national scandal turned into one man wickedness.
The purpose of the Denning report was to end the Profumo affair, it did not succeed. Vickie Barette said "it was all lies, but I never thought he would die" The jury was left with the impression that Wards account that he worked for MI5 was just one of his fantasies. Mr. Woods could not be called as a witness as this was just a cover name. Ward was neither a pimp nor a ponce at worst He procured girls to maintain his social position.
Judge Marshall did not arrive at the Ward trial by rota but was handpicked for the position to find Ward guilty.
Although Macmillan abolished hereditary peerage he made an exception for himself and family. He died in 1989 aged 92.
1966 Mandy married an Israeli and divorced him in 1977. In Israel she made a career as a night club owner. Her autobiography came out in 1989. Lord Astor went into depression a few month after Wards death, all his friends deserted him and he died friendless in 1966
2013 Geoffrey Robetson QC examined the document and declared that the crimes Ward was accused of were entirely fabricated by the police under the Macmillan government.
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