Editing Profumo affair (section)

===Cliveden, July 1961===
[[File:Cliveden, June 2005.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|left|[[Cliveden]] in Buckinghamshire, the scene of the swimming-pool party at which Profumo met Keeler]]
During the weekend of 8–9 July 1961, Keeler was among several guests of Ward at the [[Cliveden#Spring Cottage|Spring Cottage]] at Cliveden.<ref>Irving et al, pp. 47–48</ref> That same weekend, at the main house, Profumo and his wife Valerie were among the large gathering from the worlds of politics and the arts which Astor was hosting in honour of Pakistani President [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Ayub Khan]]. On the Saturday evening, Ward's and Astor's parties mingled at the Cliveden swimming pool, which Ward and his guests had permission to use.<ref>Knightley and Kennedy, pp. 84–85</ref> Keeler, who had been swimming naked, was introduced to Profumo while trying to cover herself with a skimpy towel. She was, Profumo informed his son many years later, "a very pretty girl and very sweet".<ref>Profumo, pp. 157–58</ref> Keeler did not initially know who Profumo was, but was impressed that he was the husband of a famous film star and was prepared to have "a bit of fun" with him.<ref>Keeler, pp. 110–11</ref>

The next afternoon the two parties reconvened at the pool and were joined by Ivanov, who had arrived that morning. There followed what Lord Denning described as "a light-hearted and frolicsome bathing party, where everyone was in bathing costumes and nothing indecent took place at all".<ref>Denning, pp. 11–12</ref> Profumo was greatly attracted to Keeler,<ref>Profumo, p. 161</ref> and promised to be in touch with her. Ward asked Ivanov to accompany Keeler back to London where, according to Keeler, they had sex. Some commentators doubt this—Keeler was generally outspoken about her sexual relationships yet said nothing openly about sex with Ivanov until she informed a newspaper eighteen months later.<ref>Davenport-Hines, pp. 248–49</ref><ref name="Knightley87">Knightley and Kennedy, pp. 86–89</ref>

On 12 July 1961, Ward reported on the weekend's events to MI5.<ref>Robertson, p. 25</ref> He told Woods that Ivanov and Profumo had met and that the latter had shown considerable interest in Keeler. Ward also stated that he had been asked by Ivanov for information about the future arming of [[West Germany]] with nuclear weapons. This request for military information did not greatly disturb MI5, who expected a GRU officer to ask such questions. Profumo's interest in Keeler was an unwelcome complication in MI5's plans to use her in a [[Clandestine HUMINT asset recruiting#Love, honeypots, and recruitment|honey trap operation]] against Ivanov, to help secure his defection. Woods therefore referred the issue to MI5's director-general, [[Roger Hollis|Sir Roger Hollis]].<ref name="Knightley87" />