Christine Keeler, the escort girl who was dragged unwillingly into a scandal that effectively brought down a prime minister and Tory Government in the 1960s, and whose name became synonymous with sleaze, has died. She was at the centre of a high-society expose that riveted the media and sent shock waves round the establishment, after it emerged that she’d had simultaneous liaisons with John Profumo, UK Minister of Defence, and a Russian naval attache.
Her beauty belied a sad life that started badly and ended up worse. Born 22 February 1942 11.15 am in London, she was abused by her stepfather, became a good-time girl, being handed round members of high society and the Cliveden set. She never lived down the notoriety and became latterly a recluse, estranged from her family. Unlike Mandy Rice Davies, the other showgirl involved, whose flip response in court to Lord Astor’s denial of their affair – ‘Well he would say that wouldn’t he?’ – went into public usage. She went on to have a relatively successful and respectable life.
Keeler had a 10th house Pisces Sun inconjunct a 4th house Pluto. Her Pluto was also the driving planet of a Kite from a Grand Trine of Venus MC Mercury in Aquarius trine a Gemini Ascendant (Jupiter) trine Neptune. Plus a punishing collection of Saturn Mars Moon Uranus in Taurus in her 12th. Disentangling all of that – her Venus gave her undoubted charm, and opposition such an emphasised and afflicted Pluto would put her sexually at the mercy of older men (father figures). There’s cruelty aplenty from those 12th house planets picking up an over-romanticized and ultimately disappointed Neptune in the 5th. When the scandal broke tr Saturn was moving through her 10th house thrusting her into the public eye and ultimately breaking any chance she had of a life thereafter.
Many Rice Davies, 21 October 1944, was made of tougher stuff. A late Sun Libra conjunct Mars in Scorpio with her Mars trine Saturn and square Pluto – she was certainly used to hardship, but she traded on her celebrity and became successful running nightclubs.