Marilyn Rice-Davies (21 October 1944 – 18 December 2014) was a Welsh model and

showgirl A showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way of revealing clothing, toplessness, or nudity. History Showgirls date back to the late 180 ...

best known for her association with

Christine Keeler Christine Margaret Keeler (22 February 1942 – 4 December 2017) was an English model and showgirl. Her meeting at a dance club with society osteopath Stephen Ward drew her into fashionable circles. At the height of the Cold War, she became s ...

and her role in the

Profumo affair The Profumo affair was a major scandal in twentieth-century British politics. John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, had an extramarital affair with 19-year-old model Christine Keeler b ...

, which discredited the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

government of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as " Supermac", ...

in 1963.

Early life

Marilyn Davies was born near

Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's llan (placename element), Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of ...

, Wales, and, during her childhood, moved to

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

. Her father was a policeman before becoming a technologist for

Dunlop Rubber Dunlop Ltd. (formerly Dunlop Rubber) was a British multinational company involved in the manufacture of various natural rubber goods. Its business was founded in 1889 by Harvey du Cros and he involved John Boyd Dunlop who had re-invented and ...

, and her mother was a former actress. She attended Sharmans Cross Secondary Modern School. As a teenager she worked at Woods Farm in Shirley assisting with the horse yard there. She appeared older than her age and at 15 she got a Saturday job as a clothes model at the Marshall & Snelgrove department store in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

. At 16 she went to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

as Miss Austin at the Earls Court Motor Show.Shirley Green (1979) ''Rachman''. London, Michael Joseph: 157

Profumo scandal

At Murray's Cabaret Club she met

, who introduced her to her friend, the well-connected osteopath

Stephen Ward Stephen Thomas Ward (19 October 1912 – 3 August 1963) was an English osteopath and artist who was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British political scandal which brought about the resignation of John Profumo, the Sec ...

, and to an ex-lover, the slum landlord

Peter Rachman Perec "Peter" Rachman (16 August 1919 – 29 November 1962) was a Polish-born landlord who operated in Notting Hill, London, England in the 1950s and early 1960s. He became notorious for his exploitation of his tenants, with the word "Rachmanism" ...

.Shirley Green (1979) ''Rachman''. London, Michael Joseph: 159 Rice-Davies became Rachman's mistress and was set up in the house in which he had previously kept Keeler, 1 Bryanston Mews West,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it m ...

. Rice-Davies often visited Keeler at the house she shared with Ward at

Wimpole Mews Wimpole Mews is a mews street in Marylebone, London W1, England. It is known for being a key location in the Profumo affair in the early 1960s. The street runs north–south, with Weymouth Street to the north and New Cavendish Street to the sou ...

, Marylebone, and, after Keeler had moved elsewhere, lived there herself, between September and December 1962. On 14 December 1962, while Keeler was visiting Rice-Davies at Wimpole Mews, one of Keeler's boyfriends, John Edgecombe, attempted to enter and fired a gun several times at the door.Ludovic Kennedy (1964) ''The Trial of Stephen Ward'': 10 His trial brought attention to the girls' involvement with Ward's social set, and intimacy with many powerful people, including

Viscount Astor Viscount Astor, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the financier and statesman William Waldorf Astor, 1st Baron Astor. He had already been created Baron Astor, of ...

at whose stately home of

Cliveden Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern ...

Keeler met the War Minister

John Profumo John Dennis Profumo, CBE,( ; 30 January 1915 – 9 March 2006) was a British politician whose career ended in 1963 after a sexual relationship with the 19-year-old model Christine Keeler in 1961. The scandal, which became known as the Profumo a ...

. Profumo's brief relationship with Keeler was the centre of the affair that caused him to resign from the government in June 1963, though Rice-Davies herself never met him.David Profumo (2006) ''Bringing the House Down''

"Well he would, wouldn't he?"

Stephen Ward was found guilty of living on the earnings of prostitution (money obtained from Rice-Davies and Keeler among others); the trial having been instigated after the embarrassment caused to the government. Whilst being cross-examined at Ward's trial, Rice-Davies made a

riposte In fencing, a riposte (French for "retort") is an offensive action with the intent of hitting one's opponent made by the fencer who has just parried an attack. In military usage, a riposte is the strategic device of hitting a vulnerable point of ...

which has since become famous. When

James Burge Charles George James Burge, (8 October 1906 – 6 September 1990) was an English criminal law barrister, remembered for his defence of Stephen Ward in the Profumo affair in 1963. He is also remembered as John Mortimer's original inspiration for ...

, the defence counsel, pointed out that Lord Astor denied an affair or even having met her, she dismissed this, giggling "Well he would, wouldn't he?" (often misquoted "Well he would say that, wouldn't he?").This has become a popular phrase among politicians in Britain. It is used to indicate scepticism of a claim due to the obvious bias of the person making the claim. Examples of this phrase:
Scottish Parliament committee news release
22 February 2001 "So perhaps there is a slight Mandy Rice Davies feel to this backing with a hint of 'well he would, wouldn't he?'."

"I pause to anticipate the interjection—'He would say that, wouldn't he?'" spoken by

Lord McIntosh of Haringey Andrew Robert McIntosh, Baron McIntosh of Haringey, PC (30 April 1933 – 27 August 2010) was a British Labour politician and last elected Principal of the Working Men's College. Personal life McIntosh was educated at Haberdasher Aske's Hamp ...

.
Well he would say that, wouldn't he?
by

Bronwen Maddox Bronwen Maria Maddox (born 7 May 1963) is a former journalist who has served as the director and CEO of think tank Chatham House since August 2022. Prior to this, she was the Director of the Institute for Government between 2016 and 2022. Maddo ...

in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'' 11 January 2006 By 1979, this phrase had entered the third edition of the ''

Oxford Dictionary of Quotations ''The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations'', first published by the Oxford University Press in 1941, is an 1,100-page book listing short quotations that are common in English language and culture. The 8th edition was published for print and online ...

'', and is occasionally referred to with the abbreviation MRDA ("Mandy Rice-Davies applies").; Also Astor was married at the time to

Bronwen Astor Janet Bronwen Astor, Viscountess Astor (born Janet Bronwen Alun Pugh; 6 June 1930 – 28 December 2017) was an English fashion model and psychotherapist. She was muse to the couturier Pierre Balmain, who called her one of the most beautiful ...

, and decades later she too denied that there had been an affair between Rice-Davies and her husband, leading Rice-Davies to say that he had started it, not her.

Later life

A ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent criticism ...

'' cover at the time of Profumo had a photograph of "the lovely" Rice-Davies with the caption (without any headline or other identification), "Do you mind? If it wasn't for me – you couldn't have cared less about Rachman".''Private Eye'', 26 July 1963; ''The Life and Times of Private Eye'' (ed. Richard Ingrams, 1971), page 85. Rice-Davies released a 45 EP on the Ember label (EMB EP 4537) in May 1964 entitled ''Introducing Mandy'', which included cover versions of songs such as "

All I Do Is Dream of You "All I Do Is Dream of You" is a popular song. The music was written by Nacio Herb Brown, the lyrics by Arthur Freed. The song was published in 1934. It was originally written for the Joan Crawford film '' Sadie McKee'' (1934) when it was pla ...

" and "

You Got What It Takes "You Got What It Takes" is a 1959 single (music), single by Marv Johnson. In the US it reached number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Black Singles record chart, chart, and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 early in 1960. ...

". Rice-Davies traded on the notoriety the trial brought her, comparing herself to

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

's mistress,

Lady Hamilton Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), generally known as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy m ...

.''The Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations'' (J. M. & M. J. Cohen, 1971) 190:69 In 1965 she was an associate of pre-fame

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, attending his rehearsals and live performances. In 1966 she married an Israeli businessman, Rafi Shauli and moved to Israel. The couple had one daughter together and Rice-Davies

converted Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

to Judaism. She also opened nightclubs and restaurants in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

. They were called Mandy's, Mandy's Candies and Mandy's Singing Bamboo. In 1980, with Shirley Flack, Rice-Davies wrote her autobiography, ''Mandy''. A year later she appeared in the

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

play, ''

Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land ''Dirty Linen'' and ''New-Found-Land'' is a pair of two 1976 Tom Stoppard plays that are always performed together. ''New-Found-Land'' interrupts the two parts of ''Dirty Linen''. It was first performed as an Ambiance Lunch-Hour Theatre Club pr ...

''. In 1989, she wrote a novel entitled ''The Scarlet Thread''. The Ottoman Empire provided the backdrop and the novel was described as a stirring wartime saga in the spirit of ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

''. Allan, Jani
Mandy Rice-Davies - High-life scandal to low-profile success
''Sunday Times'' (South Africa). 10 September 1989 Subsequently, journalist

Libby Purves Elizabeth Mary Purves, (born 2 February 1950) is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. Early life and career Born in London, a diplomat's daughter, Purves was raised in her mother's Catholic faith and educated at convent school ...

, who had met Rice-Davies when ''Mandy'' was published, invited her to join a female re-creation on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic Travel literature, travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections ''Idle Thoughts of an Idle ...

's comic novel ''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...

''. This expedition was commissioned by

Alan Coren Alan Coren (27 June 1938 – 18 October 2007) was an English humourist, writer and satirist who was a regular panellist on the BBC radio quiz ''The News Quiz'' and a team captain on BBC television's '' Call My Bluff''. Coren was also a journali ...

for the magazine ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'', the other members of the party being cartoonist Merrily Harpur and a toy Alsatian to represent Montmorency, the dog in the original story. Purves recounted how she "immediately spotted that this Rice-Davies was a woman to go up the Amazon with" and, among other things, that "only Mandy's foxy charm saved us from being evicted from a

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

for being drunk on pink

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

."Libby Purves in ''Country Life'', 17 November 2010 Rice-Davies appeared in a number of television and film productions, including ''

Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, " Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saun ...

'' and episode 6 of the first series of ''

Chance in a Million ''Chance in a Million'' is a British sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames Television for Channel 4. The series was co-written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen and starred Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn. The producer an ...

''. Her film career included roles in ''

Nana, the True Key of Pleasure ''Nana, the True Key of Pleasure'' is a 1982 English-language Italian drama film directed by Dan Wolman based on Émile Zola's 1880 novel ''Nana (novel), Nana''. The music is by Ennio Morricone. The film was produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem G ...

'' (1982), '' Black Venus'' (1983), and '' Absolute Beginners'' (1986) as the mother of Colin — whose father was played by

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voc ...

from

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhyt ...

. In the 1989 film ''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...

'', about the Profumo affair,

Bridget Fonda Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Godfather Part III'' (1990), '' Single White Female'' (1992), '' Singles'' (1992), '' Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Happen to You ...

portrayed Rice-Davies alongside

Joanne Whalley Joanne Whalley (born 25 August 1961) is an English actress who began her career in 1974. She has appeared primarily on television, but also in nearly 30 feature films, including '' Dance with a Stranger'' (1985), ''Willow'' (1988), ''Scandal'' ( ...

as Keeler. She was closely involved in the development of

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musica ...

's musical ''

'' about Ward's involvement in the Profumo affair, in which she was portrayed by Charlotte Blackledge. The musical opened on 19 December 2013 at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in the ...

. On Radio 4's ''

Midweek ''MidWeek'' is a weekly United States tabloid shopper and advertisement periodical published in Honolulu, Hawaii and distributed throughout the Islands of Oahu and Kauai. It is owned by Black Press and is a sister publication of the ''Honolulu ...

'' on 5 February 2014, Rice-Davies said of Stephen Ward, "I didn't fall for him, but I did have an affair with him." She once described her life as "one slow descent into respectability". Rice-Davies is portrayed by

Ellie Bamber Eleanor Elizabeth Bamber (born 2 February 1997) is an English actress. She won third prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her 2017 performance in ''The Lady from the Sea'' at the Donmar Warehouse. On television, she is known for her roles in t ...

in ''

The Trial of Christine Keeler ''The Trial of Christine Keeler'' is a British television series based on the chain of events surrounding the Profumo affair in the 1960s. The six-part series premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2019. The series was adap ...

'', a 2019–2020 six-part

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...

television series.

Death

Rice-Davies died, aged 70, from cancer on 18 December 2014 in London. She was survived by her third husband, millionaire

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitori ...

businessman Ken Foreman, and her daughter Dana.

References

External links

1963 Denning Report - Parliament & the 1960s - UK Parliament Living Heritage
*
BBC Radio 4 play about the Profumo affair, narrated by Mandy Rice-Davies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice-Davies, Mandy 1944 births 2014 deaths English expatriates in Israel English restaurateurs Women restaurateurs Converts to Judaism Deaths from cancer in England Jewish English actresses People from Llanelli Welsh autobiographers Welsh female models Welsh film actresses Welsh television actresses Women autobiographers Welsh expatriates in Israel British restaurateurs Jewish British actresses English autobiographers English female models English film actresses English television actresses People from Solihull