From Iron Lady to lonely lady

The Straits Times ^ | August 10, 2003 | Staff

[Agnes Heep]

LONDON - The Iron Lady is a mere shadow of her former self.

Since the death of Denis, her husband of 52 years, on June 26, the physical and mental powers that Lady Margaret Thatcher wielded during her 11 years as Britain's prime minister have all but vanished.

'She has been abandoned and forgotten, with few close friends to share her old age,' according to TV producer Linda McDougall, who has known Mrs Thatcher, now 78, for 30 years.

[Agnes Heep]

Very, very sad, if true. I think, however, that this is a prime example of how life works, especially with women. You give everything of yourself, and get very little in the way of return.

As Dowland observed:

In darkness let me dwell,
The ground shall sorrow be,
The roof, despair, to bar,
All cheerful light from me.
The walls of marble black,
That moistened still shall weep,
My music, hellish, jarring sounds,
To banish friendly sleep.
Thus wedded to my woes,
And bedded to my tomb,
Oh! Let me living die,
Till Death; till Death do come.

[CWOJackson]

I would not be surprised if both she and Ronald Reagan went close together.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I have deeply admired Mrs. Thatcher for years. I would put a letter to her in the mail on Monday if someone could give me her address.

[HighRoadToChina]

God bless the wonderful Iron Lady who with Ronald Reagan defeated the Evil Empire.

[austinTparty]

Indeed most sad. Lady Thatcher had a huge positive impact on the world. The Iron Lady is the role model for a great conservative woman...

[Twinkie]

Bummer. It's mean for the media to diss her like this.
I guess most people are intimidated by her persona, though.
Hope she gets some invites to tea. Sorry to hear about her
husband.

[BlackVeil]

They talk of "confusion" and loss of memory, I take it that her mind is going - that is very sad.

'Thatcher lived on as an icon but the real woman had been abandoned and forgotten, with few close friends to share her old age.'

It may be, that like some others in public life, she herself was a friend to few people. Especially as in Britain, the class barriers would have prevented most other people around her, in ruling circles, from seeing her as an intimate.

[demkicker]

Maybe the Brits will feel some well deserved shame after reading this article. Their yellow journalists have disrespected Margaret Thatcher numerous times. How quickly people forget who the real heros and heroines are!

[WaterDragon]

At the end of the day, Lady Thatcher is not like any other woman, any other widow, any other leader, any other ANYthing. She, as an individual woman, is unique, and her accomplishments both public and private are of the highest attainable by a human being. God bless her and console her grief. And we thank God for her.

[jla]

(This picture is a favorite of mine & a dear lady up in Ottawa, Canada)

Two extraordinary people, themselves humble, but always trumpeting the ideals of freedom 'n liberty.

[Maximilian]

Very, very sad, if true.

Everyone posting so far is swallowing this hogwash wholesale. Taki has already responded to this tripe and categorically stated that it's nothing but liberal b.s.:

"Take, for example, a story in the Sunday Times by a nonentity which informed us that Lady Thatcher is a lonely and abandoned woman probably in need of funds, a pathetic shadow of a once formidable woman. Ah, schadenfreude lives. Whether one likes Lady T or not — and I do very, very much — this story had no point whatsoever except to please Thatcher haters. On top of this, it was totally untrue.

Name-dropping aside, I am a friend of Lady T and keep in touch. She has no money worries — I can think of so many rich people who would come to her aid if need be, starting with Lord Hanson and myself — and although she has some short-term memory loss, as do I and most people her age, she is no more gaga than the woman who wrote the piece. She still looks elegant, every hair in place, and is to be pitied as much as I am while I dine in my garden with my family.

Happy Survivor

[Maximilian]

I don't think it's true, check out Taki's High Life column on www.spectator.co.uk

Oops, I missed your point when I critized people for swallowing this liberal hogwash.

[FlyVet]

It may be, that like some others in public life, she herself was a friend to few people.

That's what I was thinking. I'd bet she has about as many friends as she cares to have, as in real friends. I've met plenty of people who have "lots of friends." Some people are enamored of being that way. I see a big difference between "friends" and acquaintances.

I heard Chi Chi Rodriguez, of all people, say it best: "A friend is someone you would die for."

May the Iron Lady meet her friend Ron, sometime in the future, in a better place.

[Jay D. Dyson]

The Iron Lady is a mere shadow of her former self.

I imagine a woman of her will is holding up far better than I would if I ever lost my confidant, my life partner, my best friend, my lover and my better half (e.g., my wife).

I think the press needs to cut Maggie some slack. The woman has lost one of the most important people in her life. Coping with that sort of thing is something to which one grows accustomed, but it's not something anyone ever gets over.

-Jay

[cubreporter]

Beautiful tribute to your wife and Mrs. Thatcher. You are a good, kind person. "Come grow old with me...the best is yet to be." I wish that for you and your wife as I do for me and my husband.

I wish the very best for a grand lady...Mrs. Thatcher. She served her country AND ours...very well. Her and President Reagan were a real team.

She and Condi Rice...strong, intelligent women who never lost track of the fact they were/are ladies first. Therefore, they were/are respected.

We need more women of their caliber ... that's for sure.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

You could try:

House of Lords
London W1
United Kingdom

Her 78th birthday, by the way, will be October 13th.

[1066AD]

You're right. When one half of such a partnership dies, the other frequently follows quite quickly. She's also had health problems of her own, problems that can lead to rather rapid deterioration.
Nonetheless, what a partnership & what a career ! If only someone similar could arise in the UK, cut thru' the crap and address the real issues, it sure isn't Blair & his PC spin machine.
For House of Lords contact info see http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldbrief/ldcontac.htm

[Atchafalaya]

Their yellow journalists have shown a lack of respect for Margaret Thatcher numerous times. Sorry, but "disrespected" is fingernails on the chalkboard.

[demkicker]

Thank you. Puts my mind at ease for THE Lady...