Who is John Profumo?

Profumo was the son of Albert Profumo, a prominent barrister of Italian origin, who held the title 4th Baron Profumo (originally awarded to the family by the Kingdom of Sardinia). On his father's death in 1940 Profumo inherited this title, but did not use it. He was educated at Harrow School and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he took his degree in agriculture and political economy. In 1939 he joined the British Army (Northamptonshire Yeomanry), and served in North Africa (where he was mentioned in dispatches), landed in Normandy on D-Day and was engaged in the subsequent fierce fighting to secure that region of France. His final rank was brigadier. He was awarded an OBE (military) for his service on Field Marshal Harold Alexander's staff commanding the 15th Army Group in Italy towards the end of the war.