April 8, 2013

ThatcherChurchill Centre Honorary MemberThe Right Honorable The Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS
13 October 1925 — 8 April 2013

Former Prime Minister and Churchill Centre Honorary Member Margaret Thatcher passed away peacefully in London on Monday, April 8th.  Lady Thatcher was first elected to Parliament in 1959, the last year Winston Churchill was re-elected. She became Leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 and Britain’s first female prime minister in 1979. She served longer than any other prime minister of the 20th century leaving office in 1990 and thereafter becoming a member of the House of Lords. At a London dinner in October 2009, current Prime Minister David Cameron, also one of our Honorary Members, presented Lady Thatcher with the Churchill Centre’s Leadership Award. Twice Lady Thatcher herself spoke at events involving the Churchill Centre. The first time was in Washington, D.C. in 1993. The second time was at the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri on the 50th anniversary of Churchill’s delivery of the “Iron Curtain” speech in 1996.  

Lady Thatcher became an Honorary Member of the Churchill Centre in 1991. She subsequently chose to have her personal and political papers deposited in the Churchill Archive Center at Churchill College, Cambridge making the facility the equivalent of two US presidential libraries.  The Archive facility was expanded to accommodate the substantial addition, and Lady Thatcher visited on several occasions.

Lady Thatcher also shared with Churchill the honour of being made a member of both the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit.  The Churchill Centre extends its deepest sympathy to the Thatcher family.  Lady Thatcher is survived by her twin children Carol and Sir Mark Thatcher as well as by Mark’s children.  Her husband Sir Dennis passed away in 2003.  A full tribute to our late Honorary Member will appear in Finest Hour.

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