After 50 years, the identity of the mystery lover in the British Duchess of Argyll sex scandal has been revealed.

It turns out that an American airline executive was the lover of Margaret Campbell, known as the Duchess of Argyll, in an affair that kept Britain talking during divorce proceedings in 1963.

At the time, it was shocking to the country when pictures were shown in court of her performing sex acts on a man who could not be identified because his head was cut out of the shot.

According to the duchess’ daughter-in-law, Lady Colin Campbell, her mystery lover mystery was William “Bill” Lyons, who was a sales director of Pan American World Airways in the 60s.

“For 50 years it has been safely, maybe too safely, kept – for in keeping it, we have also perpetuated the mystery, and in so doing we have done Margaret’s reputation no favors,” Campbell wrote in a first-person article for The Daily Mail.

Campbell said is was the Duchess of Argyll herself who told her the mystery man in the photo was Lyons. “He [Lyons] was sophisticated, debonair, dapper, well-bred, charming and handsome,” said Campbell. “Like her first husband Charlie, he was sexy and great fun. He was reliable and astute.”

She added: “To those of us who were close to her it was hardly a surprise. Bill was her lover, after all.”

In closing she added, “Then, and only then, will everyone be able to appreciate that what she was doing in those photographs was not so very terrible. She was simply a woman in love – who was unfortunate enough to have a memento of something happy stolen from her.”

The Duchess of Argyll died in 1993.

Image via Wikimedia