Death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher facts for kids
Margaret Thatcher's coffin being carried up the steps of St Paul's Cathedral
|
|
| Date |
|
|---|---|
| Venue | St Paul's Cathedral |
| Location | London, England |
| Type | Ceremonial funeral |
| Participants | |
| Burial | Royal Hospital Chelsea |
| Cremation | Mortlake Crematorium |
On 8 April 2013, Margaret Thatcher, a former British prime minister, passed away at the age of 87. She had been known as Baroness Thatcher. On 17 April, a special ceremonial funeral was held to honor her. People had very different opinions about her time as prime minister. Because of this, reactions to her death were varied across the UK. Some praised her life, while others expressed criticism.
The funeral included a formal procession through Central London. This was followed by a church service at St Paul's Cathedral. Queen Elizabeth II attended the service. The total cost of the funeral was about £3.6 million. Most of this, £3.1 million, was for security. After the service, Thatcher's body was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium.
Her ashes were later buried at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. This was a private ceremony held on 28 September 2013. Her ashes were placed next to those of her husband, Denis Thatcher.
Margaret Thatcher's Final Years
Margaret Thatcher had some health issues in her later years. She had several small strokes in 2002. Doctors then advised her to stop public speaking. She cancelled her planned talks and accepted no more invitations.
Despite her illness, she recorded a message for Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004. She also attended her 80th birthday party in 2005. The Queen and 650 other guests were there. Her health continued to decline over time. She was briefly in the hospital in 2008 and again in 2009. In 2009, her daughter, Carol Thatcher, shared that her mother was struggling with dementia.
.jpg)
Baroness Thatcher died at 11:28 BST on 8 April 2013. She passed away at the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly after having a stroke. She had been staying at the Ritz since December 2012. This was because she found it hard to use the stairs at her home. The owners of the Ritz, David and Frederick Barclay, invited her to stay.
Lord Bell, Thatcher's spokesman, announced her death. The Union Flag was lowered to half-mast. This happened at Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, and Parliament. Flowers were also placed outside her home.
Her Funeral Service
Planning the Funeral
Planning for Margaret Thatcher's funeral started in 2009. A special committee was in charge of the arrangements. The plans were given a secret name, True Blue.
Thatcher had agreed to the details of her funeral beforehand. She chose the hymns, including "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling". This hymn reflected her Methodist background. She also asked that the prime minister of the day read a lesson from the Bible.
Thatcher had decided not to have a state funeral. This was partly due to the cost. She also felt it would suggest she was as important as Winston Churchill, which she disagreed with. Instead, she received a ceremonial funeral. This included military honours and a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The arrangements were similar to those for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002 and Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. However, Thatcher's funeral had more military honours. This was because she had been a former head of government. Her body was cremated after the funeral, as she wished.
Some of Thatcher's supporters were disappointed. They felt she should have had a full state funeral. However, many felt the ceremony was very grand. The Queen's attendance made it seem almost like a state funeral.
The cost of the funeral was discussed by some public figures. Before the event, some estimated it could be up to £10 million. Thatcher's family agreed to pay some of the costs. The government paid the rest. After the funeral, it was announced that the total public spending was £3.6 million. Most of this, £3.1 million, was for police and security.
Police prepared for possible protests along the route. They set up a very large security operation. More than 4,000 police officers were deployed. This was partly due to recent events like the Boston Marathon bombings. However, the crowds were mostly peaceful. Supporters' cheers often covered up any scattered protests.
The Funeral Day
On the day of the funeral, flags along Whitehall were lowered to half-mast at 8:00 AM. As a special sign of respect, the chimes of Big Ben were silenced. This lasted from 9:45 AM for the whole funeral. At the Tower of London, a gun fired every 60 seconds during the procession. Bells also tolled at St Margaret's Church and St Paul's.
The funeral procession started at the Houses of Parliament. Thatcher's coffin had been there overnight. It was in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft. The procession followed a specific route. A motor hearse carried the coffin from Parliament. It went down Whitehall and across Trafalgar Square.
At St Clement Danes, the coffin was moved to a gun carriage. This carriage was pulled by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. The procession continued along Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill. Finally, it arrived at St Paul's Cathedral.
At St Paul's, members of the Armed Forces carried the coffin into the cathedral. Her grandchildren, Michael and Amanda, walked in front. They carried cushions with Thatcher's special insignias.
The service began with introductory words from the Dean of St Paul's, David Ison. Amanda Thatcher read the first Bible reading. The prime minister, David Cameron, gave the second reading. The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, also spoke.
Around 2,300 people were expected to attend the funeral at St Paul's. The guest list was decided by the Thatcher family and the government. It included her family, friends, and former colleagues. Representatives from about 200 countries were invited. All five living US presidents and all four living British prime ministers were also invited.
Queen Elizabeth II led the mourners at the funeral. This was only the second time she attended the funeral of one of her prime ministers. The other time was for Winston Churchill in 1965. Her presence was seen by some as making the funeral very important. The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were led by the Lord Mayor of London, Roger Gifford. He carried the Mourning Sword, which was last used at Churchill's funeral.
After the church service, the coffin was taken by hearse to Mortlake Crematorium. This is where her husband, Denis Thatcher, had been cremated. Only immediate family attended the cremation service. On 28 September 2013, a private service was held for Thatcher. This was at the Royal Hospital Chelsea's Margaret Thatcher Infirmary. Her ashes were then buried in the hospital's grounds, next to her husband's.
Reactions to Her Death
.jpg)
Family's Response
On 10 April, two days after her death, Thatcher's son, Mark Thatcher, spoke to journalists. He said his family was "proud and equally grateful" that the Queen would attend the funeral. He believed his mother would have been "greatly honoured as well as humbled by" the Queen's presence. He thanked everyone for their messages of support. Three days later, her daughter, Carol, also thanked US President Barack Obama and others for their tributes. She also thanked everyone who sent messages of sympathy.
Reactions in the UK
Political Leaders' Views
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Queen was sad to hear the news. She sent a private message to the family.
Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a trip to Spain. He ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. He said Britain had lost "a great prime minister, a great leader, a great Briton". The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, said Thatcher had shaped modern British politics. He noted that while she "divided opinion," her "strength of her personality and the radicalism of her politics" were clear.
Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband said Thatcher would be remembered for changing British politics. He said she had a strong presence in the world. He added that even if people disagreed with her, they could "greatly respect her political achievements and her personal strength".
Sir John Major, who became prime minister after Thatcher, said her leadership helped turn Britain around. He mentioned her economic reforms and her actions during the Falklands War. Former Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown also spoke. They said that even those who disagreed with her admired her strong character and beliefs.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said Margaret Thatcher was a "formidable prime minister". Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood expressed sympathy to the family. However, she also mentioned the impact of Thatcher's policies on Wales.
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas noted that Thatcher was the first female prime minister. But she felt Thatcher did not do much to help women in general. UKIP leader Nigel Farage called her "a great patriotic lady".
Public and Other Reactions
The House of Commons held a special session to discuss Thatcher's legacy. While many politicians spoke respectfully, some Labour Party members criticized her policies. Some Labour MPs chose not to attend the tribute. They felt it would be wrong to honor her given the impact of her decisions on their communities.
There were mixed reactions from the public. Some people held gatherings to mark her death. These took place in cities like Glasgow, Liverpool, and Bristol. A larger demonstration with about 3,000 protesters happened in Trafalgar Square in London.
The decision to fly flags at half-mast caused some debate. The government's rule is that Union Flags should be lowered for former prime ministers. However, some councils, especially in Scotland and parts of England, chose not to lower their flags.
Business leaders like Alan Sugar and Richard Branson praised Thatcher. They said she created a good environment for business in Britain. They felt she helped the UK's economy improve. However, the Premier League and the Football League decided not to hold a minute's silence before football games. This decision was supported by some football fan groups.
International Reactions
Many leaders around the world sent their condolences. However, there were some less sympathetic reactions. For example, in Argentina, due to her role in the Falklands War. Also in South Africa, because of her policies regarding apartheid South Africa.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called Thatcher "a great model". He said she was the first woman Prime Minister of the UK. He felt she gave hope to many women for equality. Pope Francis also sent a message. He praised her commitment to public service and freedom.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins sent his condolences. He said she would be remembered as a very determined British prime minister. He also noted her role in signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement. This was an early step towards peace in Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny was "saddened" by her death. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams spoke of "the great hurt" caused during her time as prime minister.
French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thatcher left "a deep impression" on her country's history. Merkel added that Thatcher's belief in individual freedom helped end the Cold War.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt called her "an ideologue among pragmatists". Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said she was a key figure of the 20th century.
Romanian President Traian Băsescu and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Marin Raykov sent condolences. They saw Thatcher as central to modern European history. They felt her economic ideas helped lead to the fall of communism. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called her a "fearless champion of liberty".
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thatcher "defined the age in which she served". US President Barack Obama called her "a true friend". He praised her support for the transatlantic alliance. He said she believed they could win the Cold War and spread freedom.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard admired Thatcher's achievements as a woman. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key praised Thatcher's determination. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called her "a true friend of the Jewish people and Israel". Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called her a great statesperson. Filipino President Benigno Aquino III called her "a formidable world leader".
The Thatcher family asked that Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner not be invited to the funeral. Argentina's foreign minister said any invitation would have been "just another provocation". The Argentine ambassador was invited but declined.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and South African President Jacob Zuma sent condolences. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thatcher was "a pragmatic, tough and consistent person". Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was sad to lose a "great" politician. He said her words "carried great weight".
See also
- Political polarisation
Images for kids
-
Demonstration in Liverpool on the day of the funeral, 17 April 2013
