

LONDON—The funeral for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is set to take place on April 17 at St. Paul's Cathedral, with an elaborate ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II and a who's who of British public officials, past and present.

As London prepared for a classic British spectacle, there were signs that the late prime minister is still a polarizing figure. Anti-Thatcher "parties" broke out in several cities late Monday, raising the prospect that protesters could appear along the route of her funeral procession.

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The body of Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving British prime minister of the last century, will travel to the 300-year-old cathedral on a gun carriage drawn by horses from the King's Troop of the Artillery, according to the government. The route will be lined with military personnel as well as what are expected to be huge crowds.

The steps of the cathedral will be lined with retired members of the British army called Chelsea Pensioners, known for their scarlet dress coats and three-cornered hats.The flag at Downing Street, the prime minister's official residence, will fly at half staff.

Attendees will include the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, as well as British Prime Minister David Cameron and a host of other well-known figures from British public life, including both some who worked with Mrs. Thatcher and some who currently serve in politics. Also present will be other friends and family, including her two children and her grandchildren.

It isn't yet clear which foreign heads of state might attend. Downing Street announced the date of the funeral on Tuesday morning, and invitations are set to be sent out in the next couple of days.

The ceremonial funeral is one step short of a state funeral, which is usually reserved for the monarch but was provided for Winston Churchill, Britain's prime minister during World War II. Mrs. Thatcher had requested that she not lie in state and that there be no military fly-past, or flyby, which sometimes marks funerary events. A private cremation will follow the service.

Discussions between the government and the family of Mrs. Thatcher, who had long battled ill health, had been under way for some time. The 87-year-old died Monday of a stroke at London's Ritz Hotel, where she had been staying after leaving the hospital several months ago.

Family representatives met with officials from the government, the military, police and Buckingham Palace on Tuesday morning to coordinate on details of the funeral plan, which has been code-named "True Blue," a nod to the color her Conservative Party is associated with.

London's Metropolitan Police declined to comment on its preparations for the funeral beyond saying "our operation will use a range of appropriate tactics."

Supporters of Mrs. Thatcher say she transformed Britain into a free-market economy and restored a sense of British pride, but she remains a deeply divisive figure in her home country, having led bitter battles against unions and imposed tough economic measures.

In several U.K. cities, people gathered to celebrate her death. In Bristol, about 200 people held an impromptu street party, where some threw bottles and cans at police officers, damaged a police van and set fires in garbage cans, according to local police. Six officers were injured, and one remains in the hospital, police said. One person was arrested for "violent disorder," police said.

In the south London neighborhood of Brixton—the scene of heavy rioting during the Thatcher years—about 100 people gathered with signs that said "Rejoice!" Some popped champagne corks and chanted "Ding dong, the witch is dead!"

Some of the Brixton protesters threw items at officers, according to the police. Two women found inside a local shop with a smashed window were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

In Glasgow, several hundred people gathered in central George Square, celebrating to a soundtrack of rock music and bagpipes.

"The working class of this country were driven into the ground by this woman. We're dancing on her grave," one protester told STV Glasgow television.

Glasgow police said the gathering passed "without incident" and no arrests were made.

Write to Cassell Bryan-Low at and Jeanne Whalen at

Corrections & Amplifications
On Tuesday, Margaret Thatcher's family met with officials to coordinate funeral plans and Downing Street announced the date of the event, following her death Monday. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said she died Tuesday, that family and officials met Wednesday, and that the date was announced Wednesday.