Frail Maggie mourns Iron Lady buries husband

The Toronto Sun ^ | July 4 2003 | AP

[xp38]

LONDON -- Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher appeared frail yesterday as she arrived at a London chapel for the funeral of her husband of more than 50 years. The 77-year-old Thatcher was supported by her twin children, Mark and Carol, as they entered the chapel at historic Royal Hospital behind the coffin of Sir Denis Thatcher, who died June 26 at 88.

The coffin, draped in the British Union Jack, was covered with with red roses and white lilies.

Among the 120 mourners at the private service was Sir Denis' old friend Lord Deedes, 90, one of Britain's most famous working journalists.

Deedes said Thatcher was all right.

"Everything was exactly right. She was jolly pleased with it. She was fine. She is a strong woman and she will be fine."

Referred to as the Iron Lady during her 11 years as Britain's first female prime minister, Thatcher suffered a series of small strokes last year that forced her to give up most public speaking engagements.

[xp38]

Prayers for the Iron Lady

[apackof2]

She may be the "Iron Lady" but her heart is still broken

Prayers for a woman who lost her lover/friend/companion of fifty years.....

[BlessedBeGod]

Does anyone know if the US had an official representative there at the funeral?

[SuziQ]

Does anyone know if the US had an official representative there at the funeral?

I doubt it would have been required as he was her husband, and not the Prime Minister, but it would have been a courteous thing to do. I didn't even know he had died, but then, somehow, I missed the news that Strom Thurmond had died also! I didn't find that out until Monday morning, but I was gone from early Fri. til late Sunday on a trip with our daughter's Girl Scout troop, so I wan't paying much attention to the news.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Me neither, this is the first I've heard about it. George the Elder and Babs would have been a good choice to represent us, IMO.

[tet68]

Mrs. Thatcher, we support you in this time of grief.

Iron LADY bump.

[McGavin999]

God bless you Maggie.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Baroness Thatcher's farewell

18.09PM BST, 3 Jul 2003

Baroness Thatcher has said her final farewells to her husband Sir Denis, whose funeral took place today.

Lady Thatcher had her head bowed and looked frail as she arrived at the chapel of The Royal Hospital in Chelsea this afternoon.

The former Prime Minister stood at the entrance to the chapel flanked by her children, Mark and Carol, as the coffin, draped in the Union flag and covered with red roses, was carried inside by pall-bearers.

Both Mark and Carol put protective arms around Lady Thatcher's waist as they slowly entered the chapel behind the coffin.

Sir Denis, 88, died on June 26 at the Lister Hospital, central London. He had undergone a six-hour heart bypass operation in January from which he appeared to have recovered before falling ill again last month.

The funeral was conducted by the chaplain of the Royal Hospital, the Rev Richard Whittington, and was followed by a cremation.

Among the 120 mourners were Sir Denis's old friend, Lord Deedes, 90 as well as some members of Lady Thatcher's former Cabinet, including Lord Parkinson and Lord Wakeham, as well as the former Cabinet Secretary Lord Butler and her Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham.

Sir Denis had served in the Royal Artillery and the Last Post was being sounded by Royal Artillery bugler Lance Bombardier Martin Hilton.

http://www.itv.com/news/1292624.html

Thu Jul 3, 2:01 PM ET
Former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, left centre, with daughter Carol and son Mark, left, watch the coffin containing the body of Baroness Thatcher's late husband Sir Denis enter the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London Thursday July 3, 2003 at the start of his funeral service. (AP Photo/John D McHugh)

Thu Jul 3,12:11 PM ET
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands nearby as her husband Denis' coffin is carried out of the Chapel at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea during his funeral July 3, 2003. The 88-year-old, who had heart surgery in January this year, returned to hospital after feeling unwell three weeks ago and died at Lister Hospital on June 26, 2003. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Denis Thatcher

[ccmay]

I noticed that AP uses the honorifics 'Baroness Thatcher' and 'Sir Denis'. Reuters, on the other hand, refers to her as 'Margaret Thatcher' and to him as 'Denis Thatcher' or just 'Denis'.

Someone's got an agenda...

-ccm

[VOA]

Reuters, on the other hand, refers to her as 'Margaret Thatcher' and to him as
'Denis Thatcher' or just 'Denis'.

In my one trip to England in the mid-1990s, I eavesdropped on a few conversations
on politics.
All I ever heard were invectives and curses around the subject of Lady Thatcher.

Of course, being this was in a university environment probably had explains that!

[DmBarch]

My favorite Denis Thatcher story was one he used to tell himself. He was on a train returning from work. Sharing the car were some residents of an asylum and their some staff, on an outing. The lady in charge started to count noses. Five, six, seven - She stopped and asked Denis, who was wearing a raincoat. "Who are you?" she said. Denis replied "I'm the Prime Minister's husband." She pointed at him and resumed the count at eight.

[DeepDish]

Someday we will have a female president and if she is of the Thatcher caliber
then the country will be well served indeed.

[Arpege92]

Prayers for Margaret!