The woman who transformed Britain . . . and bestrode the world: Baroness Thatcher dies peacefully at the Ritz after a stroke at 87

Former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher died in a suite at the Ritz today after suffering a severe stroke. Britain's first and only female political leader passed away peacefully aged 87, after battling poor health for more than a decade. After a minor operation over Christmas, Baroness Thatcher had spent the past few months recuperating at the five-star hotel in central London. The Iron Lady was given 24-hour care by nursing staff in her suite, after becoming too frail to stay in her Belgravia home. She is pictured (left to right, over a period of six decades) on her wedding day in 1951, in 1970 as education and science secretary, on ITV programme Weekend World in 1981, in a 2004 portrait, and celebrating her 87th birthday in London last October.

The former prime minister had been recuperating at the luxury London hotel (seen right), where her carers took it in turns to stay with her, since spending Christmas in hospital. Before she was admitted to hospital to undergo minor surgery on her bladder the 87-year-old (inset right), who was mother to twins Carol and Sir Mark, had been set to spend Christmas Day with her niece Jane Mays in London. Carol Thatcher flew to Britain from the Swiss ski resort Klosters - where she lives for part of the year - to be with her mother yesterday.
The armed forces will line the streets of London as Baroness Thatcher is given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours, Downing Street said today.

A date is yet to be confirmed but the funeral - set to be the biggest farewell staged for a former prime minister since that of Winston Churchill in 1965 - is expected to take place next week.

Britain's first and only female prime minister died at the Ritz hotel today, where she been living in recent months after spending Christmas in hospital.

Number 10 said a wide range of friends and colleagues are to be invited to the service at St Paul's, which will be followed by a private cremation.

The funeral itself will be televised.

Some Tory MPs had called for a full state funeral - usually reserved for monarchs - for Lady Thatcher, but she had stated before she died that she did not want one.

She told her friend and spokesman Lord Bell that a military fly-past like the one seen at the state funeral held for Winston Churchill would be 'a waste of money'.

The day before the funeral the coffin will be transferred to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster.

There will be a short service following its arrival before the coffin rests in the chapel overnight.

A Downing Street statement said: 'On the day itself, the streets will be cleared of traffic and the coffin will travel by hearse from the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel, on the Strand.

There are few visible differences between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral, although officially the former requires the approval of Parliament.The date of the funeral, which will be followed by a private cremation, is yet to be confirmed.

A statement released by Downing Street today said: 'We can announce that, with the Queen’s consent, Lady Thatcher will receive a ceremonial funeral with military honours.

'The service will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. A wide and diverse range of people and groups with connections to Lady Thatcher will be invited.

'The service will be followed by a private cremation.

'All the arrangements being put in place are in line with wishes of Lady Thatcher’s family.'

Further details will be published in the coming days, the statement said.http://xclusivetalk.blogspot.com

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