Margaret Thatcher Dies After Suffering Stroke
Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87; her family made the announcement that she died after suffering a stroke earlier this morning and promised to make a "further statement" later today.
"It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning," her spokesman, Lord Bell, told the press in an official statement.
Thatcher served as Prime Minister for 11 years before leaving office and taking the title Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. She remained rather reclusive in her later years, suffering from short-term memory loss after a stroke in 2002. Her husband, Denis, preceded her in death in 2003.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
She was a larger-than-life figure who was not afraid to speak her mind during her time as Prime Minister. Meryl Streep portrayed her in the hit movie "Iron Lady," which won critical acclaim for its intimate look at the woman behind the force.
"One of the great debates of our time is about how much of your money should be spent by the State, and how much you should keep to spend on your family. Let us never forget this fundamental truth: the State has no source of money, other than the money people earned themselves. If the State wishes to spend more, it can do so only by borrowing your savings, or by taxing you more, and it's no good thinkin' that someone else who'll pay: that 'someone else' is you," Thatcher told the British Conservative Party in 1983.
She is survived by two children, Mark and Carol, who both live abroad with their own families. The Daily Mail has speculated that she will receive a full state funeral at Westminster Abbey, following in the honor of Winston Churchill.
"We've lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister, and a great Briton," David Cameron said in an official statement.
Channel 4 News reported that Queen Elizabeth was saddened to hear of Thatcher's passing and will be sending a "private message" to the family later.
