Death of the Iron Lady

Death of the Iron Lady

Posted April 08, 2013 23:30:00

Europe Correspondent discusses the circumstances of the death of Margaret Thatcher.

Source: Lateline | Duration: 1min 47sec

Topics: death, world-politics, england


EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: We go to London now and the news that Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87 following a stroke. Baroness Thatcher, dubbed "The Iron Lady", was the Conservative Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990. She was the first woman to hold the post. For more now we cross to Europe correspondent Philip Williams.

Philip, the news has only just broken in the last hour or so. What can you tell us about the circumstances of her death?

PHILIP WILLIAMS, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT: Well she's been suffering from ill health for some years now. It's no surprise that she's passed away. She suffered a stroke, one of a series of strokes, but this time it was a fatal stroke. We just had a simple statement a short time ago that says, "It's with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announce their mother, Baroness Thatcher, died peacefully following a stroke this morning." And that's how we all found out that this remarkable woman who has divided this country but changed it irrevocably had passed away.

EMMA ALBERICI: As you mentioned, she divided opinions. She was a hugely polarising figure. What sort of reaction has there been to her passing?

PHILIP WILLIAMS: Well it's very early days, but already we've had a statement from the Prime Minister David Cameron who's in Spain at the moment, who's actually returning from a European trip. He's cut it short to come back to London on this news. And he said, "We have lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a Great Briton."

The Queen has expressed her sadness and said that she'll be passing a private message on to the family. So, just the initial what will be an absolute cascade of reaction to her passing because she was a giant figure, undeniably one of the largest political figures in this country post-War. Here's a little of the history of her life.