Mandy Rice-Davies, one of the women at the centre of the Profumo affair which threatened to bring down Harold Macmillan's government in the 1960s, has died of cancer age 70.

The former model lived with Christine Keeler, whose affair with war minister John Prufomo led to his resignation in 1963. Keeler was also said to be having a relationship with Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy in London in the early 60s.

Rice-Davies became notorious for claiming to have had an affair with Lord Astor, a British businessman and Conservative party politician. When told he had denied it, she famously said from the witness stand: "Well he would, wouldn't he?"

IBTimes UK looks at other women who have rocked governments around the world.

Mandy-rice davies
December 1963: Welsh model, showgirl and witness in the Profumo scandal, Mandy Rice-Davies at her Kensington home with a copy of her book "The Mandy Report" Getty
Ruby the heart
Claims that the former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi had an affair with underage prostitute Karima El Mahroug, otherwise known as Ruby the Heart Stealer, led to his downfall Getty
marilyn monroe
The alleged affair of Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy has kept tongues wagging more than four decades later Getty
monica lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had what he called an 'inappropriate relationship' while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996 Reuters
Julie Gayet
French president Francois Hollande's affair with actress Julie Gayet, which broke in January 2014, caused embarrassment for the socialist leader Getty
wendy deng
Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch, allegedly developed a passionate obsession with former prime minister Tony Blair. Although Blair was not in power at the time, the discovery was said to be the “final straw” for Murdoch, prompting him to file for divorce after 14 years of marriage Reuters
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