A day after Margaret Thatcher’s death, Britain’s first female prime minister, preparations got under way for a funeral to rival those given to royalty — a farewell welcomed by some in Britain but questioned by others.
The news of her death, which prompted an outpouring of reaction from world leaders, dominates British newspapers on Tuesday.
Pages of tributes and analysis throw up a raft of epithets: brave, great, fearless, pioneering — but also divisive, destructive and uncaring.
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“The woman who saved Britain,” is the Daily Mail headline. “Now give her a state funeral,” it demands inside the covers, citing Conservative MPs who say she deserves the kind of honors in death usually reserved for the monarch.
“The woman who divided a nation,” is how the Daily Mirror remembers her. It questions whether Thatcher merits the same style of funeral as Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Queen Mother.
A towering figure in postwar British and global politics, she is remembered in the world for her Cold War-era friendships with Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, as well as her role in shaping Britain’s place in Europe and the short, sharp war she waged with Argentina over the disputed Falkland Islands.
At home, where many blame her for creating soaring unemployment as she reduced or eliminated many government subsidies to business and took on the unions, her legacy is highly polarized.
Thatcher’s body was moved overnight from the Ritz Hotel, where she was staying when she died of a stroke aged 87, her spokeswoman confirmed. It’s not known where it was taken.
Thatcher served from 1975 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party, and as prime minister for 11 years. She was called the “Iron Lady” for her personal and political toughness.
Her funeral will be held on Wednesday, April 17, the prime minister’s office said Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth II will be among the high profile guests, Buckingham Palace said Tuesday. Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will also be there.
The service will be at St. Paul’s Cathedral, with full military honors, followed by a private cremation, the British prime minister’s office announced.
A diverse range of people and groups with connections to Thatcher will be invited, Downing Street said. The service will also be televised.
