death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher died at the Ritz Hotel in London on 8 April 2013 after suffering a stroke. She had been staying in a suite there since December 2012, invited by the hotel’s owners, David and Frederick Barclay. Her death was confirmed by Lord Bell, her spokesman, and the news spread quickly through the Press Association. Flags across London flew at half-mast, and flowers were left outside her home in Chester Square. The reaction to her death was mixed, with contrasting tributes, criticism and public demonstrations. Planning for her funeral began in 2009 under Malcolm Ross and later Francis Maude. Thatcher herself chose the hymns and requested that the prime minister read a Bible lesson. She had ruled out a state funeral, preferring a ceremonial one with military honours. The service at St Paul’s Cathedral included readings by her granddaughter Amanda and Prime Minister David Cameron, with an address by the Bishop of London. The Queen attended, marking only the second time she had done so for a prime minister’s funeral. The funeral procession moved from the Houses of Parliament through Central London to St Paul’s Cathedral. A gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, carried the coffin past St Clement Danes and along Fleet Street. Inside the cathedral, the coffin was borne down the nave by members of the Armed Forces, with Thatcher’s grandchildren leading the procession. Around 2,300 mourners attended, including former colleagues, world leaders and all four living former British prime ministers. After the service, Thatcher’s body was cremated and her ashes buried at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.