Denis Thatcher
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| Denis Thatcher | |
| Born | May 10, 1915 London, UK |
|---|---|
| Died | June 26, 2003 (aged 88) |
| Spouse | Margaret Kempson (1942-1948) Margaret Roberts (1951-2003) |
| Children | Carol, Mark |
Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet MBE TD (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. As of March 2007, he is the last person outside the British Royal Family to be awarded a hereditary title.
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[edit] Early life / work
Educated at the boarding school, Mill Hill, he left at the age of 18 to join the family business, Atlas Preservatives.
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.
In 1942 he married Margaret Kempson. They divorced in 1948.
In 1949 while attending a Paint Trades Federation function he met Margaret Roberts, a chemist and British politician who became the first (and, as of 2007, only) woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. They married on 13 December 1951, and had two children, Carol and Mark, in 1953. In rare communications with the press, he referred to her as "The Boss".
He was a 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.
[edit] 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".
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 a baronet as Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet Thatcher, of Scotney in the County of Kent. This meant that his wife was entitled to be called Lady Thatcher while retaining her seat in the House of Commons, and was also a hereditary title that was to be inherited by their son Mark. It was the last British hereditary honour to be granted to anyone outside the royal family. However, Sir Denis Thatcher's wife was created a life peeress as Baroness Thatcher in her own right in 1992 after her retirement from the House of Commons.
[edit] Legacy
Their twin children (b. 1953) are Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet and Carol Thatcher.
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.
Prime Minister Tony Blair called him a "kind and generous-hearted man, a real gentleman who had many friends here and abroad".
[edit] Publications
- Denis Thatcher's one public interview, in 2002, was released as a DVD, Married to Maggie.
[edit] External links
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Title Granted by Queen Elizabeth II |
Baronet (of Scotney) |
Succeeded by Mark Thatcher |
| Preceded by Audrey Callaghan |
Spouse of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1979-1990 |
Succeeded by Norma Major |
