Margaret Thatcher biography, cause and age of death, career timeline, family, husband

Biography of Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts) was the most authoritative British political leader since Winston Churchill. She served as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, longer than anyone in modern Europe. From 1975 to 1990, she led the Conservative Party, and in 1992 she received the noble title of Baroness.

She became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first female head of government in a European country, and the only British Prime Minister in the 20th century to be re-elected three times. She ranked 16th in the BBC's poll of the "100 Greatest Britons" among the country's residents.

She entered world history as the "Iron Lady," "brave, sometimes unbearable," steadfast in making political decisions even if they caused public protests. She held strong anti-communist and neoconservative views and implemented policies known as "Thatcherism," believing that individuals should solve their own problems without relying on the state. According to some politicians, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, she played a significant role in ending the Cold War.

Childhood and Youth

Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, a small town in Lincolnshire, eastern England, which also produced Isaac Newton. Her father, Alfred Roberts, owned a grocery and tobacco shop. Besides that, he was a preacher in the Methodist Church and a member of the town council, serving as mayor from 1945 to 1946. Her mother, Beatrice Ethel, née Stephenson, was a professional seamstress. They also had an older daughter, Muriel.

Margaret Thatcher with her sister as a child

Margaret was always "daddy's girl." Her father greatly influenced her views and life. He encouraged her curiosity, developed her ability to firmly and reasonably defend her point of view, and instilled in her a sense of duty and the importance of new knowledge. Together they read books, attended lectures on history and culture, and listened to political broadcasts on the radio. She often accompanied her father to council meetings.

From 1930 to 1936, she attended Huntingtower Road Primary School, then won a scholarship to study at Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School. Due to her father's instilled independence from public opinion, classmates considered her conceited and called her "the Toothpick."

Margaret Thatcher with her parents and sister

Young Roberts devoted much time to her studies but also participated in poetry evenings, played the piano, and worked hard in sports sections. During one awards ceremony for winning school competitions, 9-year-old Maggie declared, "No, I wasn't lucky. I earned it." Many years later, biographers of the British Prime Minister noted that she didn't have exceptional talents or abilities, but thanks to diligence, hard work, and discipline, she graduated as the best student. The most powerful woman in Britain loved to be first in everything since childhood.

In 1943, she entered the prestigious Somerville College, Oxford, where she began studying chemistry. Remaining true to her father's teachings and still passionate about politics, she joined the Conservative Association of the traditionally liberal university and became its chairperson a few years later (the first woman to hold this position).

Career Development

In 1947, Margaret earned a Bachelor of Science with second-class honors. She initially worked in Colchester (Essex County), actively participating in the local Conservative Party cell. Later, she worked in Dartford (Kent County), where at the age of 24, she made her first attempt to be elected to Parliament.

She did not win the 1950 election—the town's residents voted for the Labour Party. However, she drew media attention as the only female candidate and the youngest candidate.

Margaret Thatcher at the beginning of her political career (1950s)

In 1953, Thatcher became a barrister, specializing in tax law until 1961. She failed again in the 1955 election but finally secured a parliamentary seat in 1959.

Early Margaret Thatcher Interview at Start of Political Career (1960)

In the Conservative government, she served as an Assistant Minister. After the Tories' defeat in the 1964 election, she joined the Shadow Cabinet, representing land and housing issues. She sharply criticized Labour for high taxes and advocated for the right of Britons to buy their homes.

In 1967, the U.S. Embassy in London selected Margaret as a promising leader to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). For six weeks, she visited the United States to learn more about American society and its institutions. She later stated that the American way of life made an "indelible impression" on her.

Margaret Thatcher interviews 1971-1979

In 1970, the Conservatives came to power, and Margaret, now a seasoned politician, led the Ministry of Education as the only woman in the government. To cut costs, she initiated the cessation of state subsidies for free milk for schoolchildren aged 7 to 11. This decree drew much criticism from Labour, who labeled her the "milk snatcher." She later noted that she learned a valuable lesson—she "provoked maximum political hatred for minimum political gain."

Protests against the abolition of free milk for schoolchildren

In 1975, the Conservatives lost the election, but Thatcher retained her ministerial portfolio even under the Liberal government. Moreover, she won the party leadership election, becoming the first woman in the United Kingdom's history to lead a major political force. She soon displayed qualities that made her a truly historic figure.

As Prime Minister

First Term

In 1979, the Conservative victory in the House of Commons elections made Margaret Thatcher the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She won this position, marking the start of her 11-year rule, by a margin of just one vote.

The primary task of her government was to combat inflation. The head of the cabinet energetically worked to restore the financial system, implementing a series of tough economic reforms, reducing the role of the state in the market and cutting budget expenses. Simultaneously, laws were enacted against trade unions, which were constantly striking and harming the economy.

Margaret Thatcher arrives at the party headquarters after election day

The controversial leadership methods of the "Iron Lady" caused dissatisfaction among opposition members and some within her own party. Sometimes, riots broke out in urban neighborhoods. However, the Prime Minister remained steadfast and true to what she believed was right.

By the end of 1981, her approval rating fell to 25 percent, the lowest in British history. But by early 1982, Margaret's efforts finally yielded positive results: the economy began to recover, gradually restoring her popularity among voters.

The Prime Minister held weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth to discuss and exchange opinions. Later, Thatcher wrote in her memoirs that these meetings were not mere formalities but played a significant role in decision-making.

The peak of the Prime Minister’s popularity came in April 1982, when she decisively responded to the Argentine army's invasion of the Falkland Islands by sending a naval task force to the archipelago. In June, British control over the islands was restored.

Thatcher announces the Falklands invasion to the House of Commons

This event was a true triumph, restoring a sense of national pride among her compatriots. As a result, she was re-elected for a second term in the 1983 parliamentary elections.

Second Term

During her tenure, Thatcher achieved stable economic growth. Municipal housing owners were given the opportunity to buy their properties. State enterprises, including the gas giant British Gas, the airline British Airways, and the telecommunications company British Telecom, were privatized, turning Britons into shareholders and reducing unemployment. Her policies transformed London's City into the financial capital of the world.

Margaret Thatcher at the Downing Street residence

In 1984, in response to the closure of several mines, the National Union of Mineworkers declared a nationwide strike. Violent clashes between protesters and police occurred during the strike. Margaret did not make concessions and won the standoff with the miners, but lost their support.

During that period, she survived an assassination attempt: the IRA bombed the Brighton hotel where the Conservative Party onference was being held. Five people died in the attack. Thatcher was unharmed and opened the party conference the next day, which boosted her popularity.

The foreign policy of the cabinet head aimed to strengthen the UK's role on the global stage. The "Iron Lady" built close relations with Ronald Reagan and unexpectedly formed an alliance with Mikhail Gorbachev, recognizing his reformist tendencies. She notably contributed to the significant warming of relations between the East and the West.

Third Term

In 1987, Thatcher won the parliamentary elections for the third consecutive time, an unprecedented event for the United Kingdom. Immediately afterward, she introduced new unpopular measures (cutting subsidies to state enterprises and aid to depressed regions, reducing social spending) and taxes, which triggered the most intense street protests in modern British history. Around 70,000 Londoners participated in the demonstrations, which escalated into riots in Trafalgar Square, injuring 113 people.

Two years later, the "Iron Lady" faced a victory in the contest for the party leadership. However, in November 1990, almost the entire cabinet opposed her leadership, ignoring not only public protests but also the opinions of party colleagues, and she announced her resignation. In 1992, when the Conservatives regained power, she also resigned from her parliamentary duties.

Life After Politics

After leaving Downing Street, Thatcher remained active in public life in the United Kingdom. She criticized the Maastricht Treaty, which led to the creation of the European Union, called for an end to the ethnic cleansing of Serbs during the Bosnian War, publicly supported the US missile defense program, and wrote books and memoirs.

In 1992, she received the title of Baroness, and two years later, a life peerage, joining the House of Lords. In 1995, she was awarded the title of Lady of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of knighthood in the country. In 2001, she was awarded the "Golden Medal of Chiswick" for outstanding achievements.

The Queen personally visited Thatcher during the celebrations of her 70th and 80th birthdays.

Margaret Thatcher's Personal Life

One of the most discussed political figures of the 20th century met her first love long before her political career began, while she was in college. The young man happened to be the son of an earl. His parents forbade him from being involved with the daughter of a greengrocer, and he obeyed, breaking the young Roberts' heart.

Her next suitor was a farmer from Scotland, but their relationship also did not go far. The young man felt intimidated by his beloved's career ambitions and broad views, and he switched his attention to her sister, Muriel.

Margaret married a divorced, wealthy industrialist and staunch conservative, Denis Thatcher, who was 10 years older. They met in 1948 at a party conference where Maggie's candidacy for parliamentary elections was approved.

He fell in love with the intelligent and strong-willed girl at first sight, courted her beautifully, and they married in 1951. People gossiped that Thatcher married for convenience—she needed his money for legal education and to advance her political career. But those who knew the couple well claimed that their relationship was genuine. The couple lived together for 52 years, and throughout that time, her husband was Margaret's reliable support.

In 1953, she gave birth to twins, Carol and Mark. Despite being busy, the politician cooked for her husband herself, while a nanny took care of the children. Margaret always dedicated weekends to her family. However, her children never forgave her for putting the needs of the state above all else.

Mark did not show high intelligence or exemplary behavior from childhood. He did not achieve great success in auto racing or business but got involved in a major international scandal, receiving a four-year suspended sentence and a fine. In his first marriage to American Diane Burgdorf, he had two children—Michael and Amanda. In 2008, he did not invite his mother to his wedding with his second wife, Sarah-Jane Russell, daughter of a major London developer.

But Margaret was even more hurt by her daughter Carol, who published the book "Swimming with Goldfish." She dedicated it to telling how the 82-year-old former prime minister was losing her clarity of mind—forgetting what she had for breakfast, that her husband had died in 2003, and so on. The public received this work very coldly.

In Margaret Thatcher's final moments, none of her close family were around—her children and grandchildren lived abroad.

Death

At the turn of the new millennium, the politician's health began to sharply decline. In 2002, Baroness Thatcher suffered a minor stroke, and in 2005, she was diagnosed with dementia. In 2012, she underwent surgery to remove a bladder tumor. On April 8, 2013, the great woman passed away. The official cause of death was a stroke.

The farewell ceremony for the former Prime Minister took place at St. Paul's Cathedral. She was sent off with military honors. Queen Elizabeth II attended the funeral, paying tribute to the politician who skillfully led the country during a challenging period in British history. Before this, only one British Prime Minister had received such an honor – Winston Churchill. According to her wishes, her ashes were buried at the Royal Hospital Chelsea beside her husband.

Thatcher's death, like her tenure, elicited a wide range of reactions: supporters declared the end of an era, while opponents turned their backs on the funeral cortege and celebrated with songs like "The Witch is Dead." Few political figures wielded such powerful influence while in office, and few became the object of such intense passions – both for and against.

Interesting Facts

In 2007, Margaret became the first former Prime Minister in United Kingdom history to receive a statue in the Parliament building during her lifetime. The statue stands in the lobby of the House of Commons, opposite the statue of her political idol, Winston Churchill.

The politician personally wrote the script for her own funeral. Journalists called the farewell ceremony unique in its grandeur, comparing it to the funeral of Princess Diana.

Books, plays, and films have been made about the former Prime Minister. The most famous film, "The Iron Lady," was released in 2011. Meryl Streep played the main role and won an Oscar for it. However, Thatcher herself did not like the film.

Important Life Events

1943-1947 – Studied at Somerville College, Oxford.
1950 – First attempt to be elected to Parliament.
1951 – Marriage.
1953 – Birth of children Mark and Carol.
1959-1992 – Member of the House of Commons.
1967 – Visited the USA as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
1970-1974 – Minister of Education and Science.
1975-1990 – Leader of the Conservative Party.
1979-1990 – Prime Minister.
1982 – Victory in the Falklands.
1984 – IRA assassination attempt on her and her cabinet.
1992 – Title of Baroness.
1994 – Received a life peerage and joined the House of Lords.
1995 – Awarded the Order of the Garter, Britain's highest order of knighthood.
2001 – Received the Chesney Gold Medal.
2007 – Became the first Prime Minister to have a statue erected in the Parliament building during their lifetime.
April 8, 2013 – Date of death.

Photos: Margaret Thatcher