Margaret and Denis Thatcher

Arms of Sir Denis Thatcher

Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE (May 10, 1915 – June 26, 2003) was a businessman, and the husband of the former British Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher. He was born in Lewisham, London, the son of a New Zealand-born British businessman. Image File history File links DenisandMargaretThatcher. ... Image File history File links DenisandMargaretThatcher. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... Thatcher, Baronet This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Thatcher, Baronet This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... Lewisham is an area within the London Borough of Lewisham in south-east London. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ...

Early Life / Work

Educated at the boarding school, Mill Hill, he left at the age of eighteen to join the family business, Atlas Preservatives. Mill Hill School is a public school located in Mill Hill, London, England. ... Family Business is also the title of an American reality TV series. ...

During the Second World War, he served in the 34th Searchlight (Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Regiment of the Royal Engineers before being promoted to the rank of Major. He was twice mentioned in dispatches, and in 1945 was appointed an MBE. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... The Corps of Royal Engineers (RE), commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ... Major is a military rank. ... Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand...

In 1942 he married his first wife, Margaret Kempson. They were divorced in 1948. This article is about the year. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1950 while attending a Conservative Party function he met Margaret Roberts, a chemist and British politician who later became the first female Prime Minister. They were married the next year, and had two children in 1953. In rare communications with the press, he referred to her as "The Boss". 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... Look up chemist on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... Sir Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, generally regarded as one of the greatest Prime Ministers A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a...

He was the Director of the Burmah Oil Company Trading Co., Chairman of the Atlas Preservative Co., Vice-chairman of Attwoods plc, Director of Quinton Hazell plc, and a consultant to Amec plc and CSX Corp. It has been suggested that Board of Trustees be merged into this article or section. ... A chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... A consultant (from the latin consultus meaning legal expert) is a professional who provides expert advice in a particular domain or area of expertise such as accountancy, technology, the law, human resources, marketing, medicine, finance, public affairs, communication, or more esoteric areas of knowledge, for example engineering of different kinds... Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania...

Public Life and Perceptions

The public perception of his character was formed chiefly from a series of spoof letters published in the satirical magazine Private Eye in the 1980s. The "Dear Bill" column written by Richard Ingrams and John Wells took the form of a letter purported to be from Denis to his real life friend and golfing partner Bill Deedes (former editor of The Daily Telegraph), detailing life at Number 10. The letters portrayed Denis Thatcher as a reactionary interested only in golf and gin. John Wells used the character portrayed in the letters, and created the stage play Anyone For Denis (also shown on television). Ulster Unionist David Burnside recalled a reception in Blackpool "to which Sir Denis came along with his minder and declared: "I don't know what reception I'm at, but for God's sake give me a gin and tonic". Satire is a literary technique not of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... A collection of magazines A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles, generally financed by advertising and/or purchase by readers. ... Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... The 1980s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1980 and 1989. ... Richard Ingrams (born 1937) was the second editor of British satirical magazine-cum-newspaper, Private Eye, taking over from Christopher Booker. ... John Wells (November 17, 1936 - January 11, 1998) was a British actor, writer and satirist. ... William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes of Aldington, KBE, MC, DL, PC (Bill Deedes, born Kent, England, 1 June 1913), is a veteran British journalist and a former politician. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... 10 Downing Street, commonly known as Number 10, is arguably the most famous street address in London. ... Reactionary (or reactionist) is a political epithet typically applied to conservatism. ... Golf is a game where individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs. ... Gin and tonic This article concerns the beverage. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... David Wilson Boyd Burnside (born August 24, 1951) is a Northern Ireland politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for South Antrim. ... Gin and tonic The gin and tonic is a cocktail made with gin and tonic water. ...

Margaret Thatcher, however, often acknowledged her husband's support. In her autobiography she wrote: I could never have been Prime Minister for more than 11 years without Denis by my side.

In 1991, Denis Thatcher was created Baronet of Scotney in the County of Kent, and his wife was created Baroness Thatcher in 1992. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Legacy

Their twin children (b. 1953) are Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet and Carol Thatcher. 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Honourable Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (born August 15, 1953), is the only son of Sir Denis Thatcher and Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister. ... The Honourable Carol Thatcher (born 15 August 1953) is a British journalist and the daughter of the late Sir Denis Thatcher and The Baroness Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister. ...

He died at the age of 88 at London's Lister Hospital, five months after undergoing heart bypass surgery, with his funeral on July 3, 2003 at the chapel of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Figure Court of Royal Hospital Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, located in the Chelsea region of central London. ... Chelsea is a district of London, loosely defined by the area around the Kings Road, beginning at Sloane Square at one end, and the Worlds End public house at the other, the River Thames and the Victorian artists district to the south, and some parts between the King...

Prime Minister Tony Blair called him a "kind and generous-hearted man, a real gentleman who had many friends here and abroad". The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Douglas Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ...

Publications

Denis Thatcher's one public interview, in 2002, was released as a DVD, Married to Maggie.

External links

• BBC photo archive