'My monument will not rust': the vibrant life and luxurious funeral of 'Iron Lady' Margaret Thatcher
'13.12.2019'
Source: Lenta.ru report
Unyielding, with haughty pursed lips and a steel gleam in her eyes, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was an ardent opponent of communism and the labor movement. Her style is still considered to be the epitome of what a woman in high office should look like. The grocer's daughter suggested that Queen Elizabeth II coordinate her appearance with her and came up with a scenario for her own funeral, says “Lenta.ru report".
Everything went according to her script.
That day, London seemed to freeze. In the center of the British capital stopped the movement of public transport. The streets brought together those who loved Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to hold the post of British Prime Minister three times, and those who hated her fiercely. From the night, many took places to see the funeral procession and to lead the “iron lady” on their last journey. However, there were those who turned their backs on the motorcade to demonstrate their attitude to this woman.
These funerals did not have state status, but they did not differ from them. There were military honors, and a funeral service in the main Anglican church - St. Paul’s Cathedral, and hundreds of VIPs. Even Queen Elizabeth II came to the ceremony, who has not attended the funeral of British prime ministers since the funeral of Winston Churchill (for 48 years).
Exactly at 10 in the morning, under the silence of Big Ben's clock, the coffin with the body of Margaret Thatcher set off on his last journey. On a black limousine along the deserted streets of the British capital. Halfway to the cathedral, the coffin with the body of the prime minister was transferred to a gun carriage pulled by horses. Up to the steps of the temple he was accompanied by a long procession of soldiers of various military branches. 2,5 thousands of high-ranking guests, including members of the royal family, have already gathered inside St. Paul’s Cathedral. “A ceremony unique in splendor, comparable to the funeral of Princess Diana,” journalists described this mourning event.
Margaret Thatcher pre-painted the script for her own funeral, thought out a dress code: a black tuxedo for men, day dresses of mourning colors for women. She also added the reading of the psalm by the Prime Minister (the British Parliament at that time was headed by David Cameron) and struck out a military flight over London in recognition of her role in Britain’s military successes. During the Thatcher premiership, the British won the Falkland War of the 1982 of the year.
For this funeral, 10 million pounds were spent (at today's rate, this is 13 million dollars) from the country's budget, which caused an ambiguous reaction among citizens of the United Kingdom.
“When she dies, we will have a party”
Because of her social policies, Margaret was quite unpopular among the people. Her policy, called "Thatcherism", was focused on combating budget deficits. For the sake of this, much was sacrificed: subsidies to state enterprises, expenses on education, health care, housing and communal services, and assistance to depressed regions. As a result, these measures led to the impoverishment of workers and employees, but they were removed from the blow of the wealthiest citizens of Great Britain.
A real social war broke out in the country, the peak of which was a year-long strike by the British miners against the closure of mines and the dismissal of more than 20 thousand people. Thatcher responded to strikes with more and more restrictions on trade union rights. Fairly adored by the upper world, but also justly hated by the common people, Thatcher introduced a poll tax instead of a tax proportional to the cost of housing. Under the new rules, the British had to pay tax based on how many adults live in the apartment. Thus, a lone millionaire living in a luxurious 10-room apartment paid less than a large family huddled in a one-room apartment.
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It is not surprising that the British rather ambiguously took the news of the death of the former prime minister. Many of them, without hiding their glee, drank champagne right on the street, singing a song from the movie “The Wizard of Oz” “Dean-Don!” The witch is dead. ” It came to open clashes with the police. British newspapers closed comments on all Thatcher material due to the abundance of insulting reviews addressed to the deceased. Football fans chanted popularly written and rather long verses written “When Thatcher Dies, We Will Have a Party”.
The British Prime Minister outside the United Kingdom was treated quite differently. The grocer's daughter, who managed to achieve such heights, aroused admiration and respect. For many, it remains an icon of style.
The Iron Lady Style
Perfect styling, neat make-up, well-thought out outfit: perfectly fitting formal suit and matching accessories - Margaret Thatcher is used to looking perfect. An integral part of the image was the bag. Usually the choice fell on reticules with short handles. The black model from Asprey became famous all over the world - with it she came to negotiations with American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. By the way, later this handbag went under the hammer at an auction for 28 thousand euros.
Surrounded by the prime minister, they said that she could choose a dress for herself for the next several hours in a row or sacrifice sleep for the sake of going to a beauty salon. Until 1979, her hair was clumsily laid, however, becoming the prime minister, she began to use the services of professional hairdressers.
“I am ready to sleep one and a half hours a day, if only to have a beautiful styling, which will remain until the end of the working day,” Thatcher used to say.
She was especially carefully prepared for a trip to the USSR to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife Raisa in the 1987 year. Together with a team of stylists, every outfit was thought out. Given that both the British and Soviet public were watching the visit closely on television, Thatcher needed to make a good impression. Wanting to curtsy in the direction of Russian culture, the head of the British government chose a beige cashmere coat with a luxurious mink collar and a huge fox hat.
After meeting with the Soviet leader in 1988, Margaret was included in the list of the most stylish celebrities, recognizing her as an example of classical elegance. Then the politician admitted that this moment was one of the happiest in her life.
Leading the government, she patronized designers, in particular, spoke out for all kinds of support for the fashion business. As an example, she put France: both her fashion and politicians, always dressed with a needle.
Queen's offer
The prime minister’s main stylist was Margaret King, it was she who convinced her to wear business suits with a skirt, and dresses only for receptions and during foreign visits.
“Costumes always work well in photographs,” King used to say.
Thatcher grew up in a family that could not afford to live on a grand scale. However, this did not affect the clothes of little Margaret: her mother was a professional dressmaker who sewed clothes for her family according to patterns from Vogue magazine. The fabric was bought at sales, but it was always of excellent quality.
Margaret came into big politics when she was already married. The family had money, so Thatcher in everyday life preferred things from Salvatore Ferragamo, and bought all the clothes for political campaigns in a rather expensive store of the old British brand Aquascutum. Winston Churchill, Prince of Monaco Rainier and other politicians, aristocrats and artists dressed there. Thatcher admitted that she was not indifferent to clothes, like many women.
“But it’s even more important to dress in such a way as to create the right impression from a political point of view,” she wrote in her autobiography.
Thatcher spoke a lot on television, and the British began to notice that sometimes their prime minister put on the same costume several times in a row. Then the politicians' assistants started a special notebook, where they began to write down what Margaret was wearing in one program or another. Each outfit received a short name corresponding to the place and nature of the event. For example, Reagan Navy, Kremlin Silver, Toronto Turquoise, Beijing Black, Washington Pink.
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To soften the image created by strict costumes, Thatcher put on a bowtie blouse or pin an elegant brooch that matches the outfit. Her huge collection included brooches in the form of trees, insects, flowers. Designers vied to offer their services to the British Prime Minister. So, the fashion house Chanel made a platinum brooch in the shape of an ornate flower, naming it after Thatcher. There were rumors among the subordinates that one could read her mood and the look at the political problem during the negotiations on the jewelry worn by their prime minister.
Margaret was so fond of jewelry that she was not afraid to wear it all at once - large earrings, beads, rings, a bracelet and a brooch. Sometimes stylists encouraged her to restraint, especially with regard to jewelry, but she refused. In particular, she was recommended to abandon the string of pearls on her neck. However, Thatcher did not agree - it was a husband's gift for the birth of their twins.
The prime minister's favorite color was blue - she often appeared at various events in suits of this color scheme - from sky blue to dark blue. In general, this was a kind of PR move: blue is the color of the Conservative Party. A velvet dress of the same color she, by the way, put on at her wedding.
Thatcher came to one of the events in a dress very similar to the one that Queen Elizabeth II chose. Then the Prime Minister invited Her Majesty to discuss what kind of toilets they would put on at certain events. The queen refused.
Bad memory
After leaving the post of prime minister, Thatcher received the title of Baroness and continued to live quite richly. Together with her family, she moved to a townhouse in one of the prestigious areas of London - Belgravia. In a comfortable mansion, the former politician lived 22 of the year. On the ground floor there was a dining room and an office, the second - occupied the living room and library, on the third - the main bedroom with dressing room and on the fourth floor there was a terrace with a glass roof. Subsequently, this mansion with bulletproof windows and an entrance door went under the hammer for 30 million pounds.
Despite the ambiguous attitude of the British towards Thatcher, then the mayor of London Boris Johnson proposed to perpetuate her memory. In the parliament building, opposite the monument to Winston Churchill, a Thatcher monument made of bronze appeared. The opening ceremony was attended by Margaret herself, who by that time had long retired, but until the last she continued to meet with Queen Elizabeth II - they discussed various political issues.
“It’s a pity that it’s not iron, but at least such a monument will not rust,” Thatcher joked, alluding to the fact that at one time she was given the nickname “Iron Lady”.
