Denis Thatcher
Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was a British businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. He was the first male spouse of a British prime minister.[1]
Sir Denis Thatcher | |
|---|---|
 Dining at Downing Street in 1988 | |
| Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | |
| In role 4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Audrey Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | Norma Major |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 May 1915 Lewisham, London, England |
| Died | 26 June 2003 (aged 88) Chelsea, London, England |
| Resting place | Royal Hospital Chelsea 51°29′15″N 0°09′30″W / 51.4874°N 0.1582°W |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | |
| Alma mater | Mill Hill School |
| Profession | Business |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  United Kingdom Army |
| Years of service | 1938–1965 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
To this day, Thatcher remains the last commoner awarded a British title that could be inherited; he was granted the Thatcher baronetcy in 1990.
Early life
Thatcher was born in Lewisham, London, the oldest child of a New Zealand-born British businessman, Thomas Herbert (Jack) Thatcher. He studied at the Mill Hill School until he left at the age of 18 to become a businessman.
Personal life
Thatcher was married to Margaret Kempson (1918-1996) from 1942 until they divorced in 1948. Then he was married to Margaret Roberts from 1951 until his death in 2003. Thatcher and Margaret had twins: a son, Mark Thatcher, and daughter, Carol Thatcher.
Health
On 17 January 2003, Thatcher underwent a six-hour heart bypass operation. He had been complaining of breathlessness in the weeks before Christmas 2002 and the problem was diagnosed in early January. There, Thatcher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer along with fluid in his lungs.
Death
Thatcher died in Lister Hospital at Westminster in London, England, from pancreatic cancer, aged 88. His body was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium[2] in Richmond, London. His widow, Margaret, died almost 10 years after in 2013.
Denis Thatcher Media
Denis and Margaret Thatcher with US vice president George Bush and second lady Barbara Bush at Chequers in 1984
Denis Thatcher on a visit to Northern Ireland
Thatcher and US first lady Nancy Reagan at Downing Street in 1988
Plaques on the graves of Denis and Margaret Thatcher at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (pictured in 2014)
Venerable Order of Saint John (UK) ribbon. This vector version includes a miniature cross worn on ribbon. For example, see here
Baronet's Badge ribbon*Summary*Image sourced from 'Medals of the World' website: [1] Permission given by Megan Robertson to User:PalawanOz on 22 April 2007 for the use of this image in Wikipedia articles
OBE (Military) Ribbon
Ribbon of the Efficiency Decoration for the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve, 38 mm wide with a 15½ mm wide blue band, a 7 mm wide lime yellow band and a 15½ mm wide dark green band.
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References
- ↑ "Margaret Thatcher". Number10.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ↑ "Notable dead at Mortlake" (PDF). Mortlake Crematorium. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2005. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
