The “Iron Lady” who changed the customs of European Diplomacy
Margaret Thatcher in US visiting president Ronald Reagan/1987
Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain. She served three terms, from 1979 to 1990, and was called the “Iron Lady” for her leadership skills and uncompromising politics. In the last years of his her life, she faced a real drama, fighting a cruel disease that he did not want to admit. Margaret Thatcher will always remain in the history of England as the “Iron Lady”. She was the first woman to hold the post of Prime Minister of Great Britain and managed to stay in office for three consecutive terms, from 1979 to 1990. In 1993, Margaret Thatcher published her memoirs. The book was a huge success, with lines forming outside London bookstores. Although she had finished her term two years ago, she was still a formidable presence on the political scene. She had a reputation and did not shy away from speaking her mind through acidic speeches given on stages around the world. The “Iron Lady” was still extremely popular and a household name in politics, but in 1993 the first signs of the disease began to appear. Robin Harris, the leader’s personal adviser and confidante for more than 30 years, revealed that Margaret Thatcher had begun to lose focus and was having difficulty digesting more complex information, something she had not experienced before. The health of England’s first female prime minister deteriorated quite quickly. Within just three years of the first signs of the disease, Thatcher had become almost deaf. She resorted to hearing aids but could not get them accepted. According to Harris, this was when the “Iron Lady” began to experience real drama.
The disease that affected the brain of Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of England, had almost become the source, and for this reason, those who tried to talk to her had to scream. Many times she did not answer them, or it was difficult for her to have a conversation. Hearing loss made the “Iron Lady” disoriented and highlighted her mental issues. Thatcher’s illness was not communicated to the general public, and many of her detractors claimed that she had problems with understanding and orientation due to excessive drinking. People who came into contact with her said she was “senile” and spoke to her rarely and loudly. This behavior of the surrounding people bothered the “Iron Lady” very much. As the disease progressed, she felt helpless and humiliated. The battle with the disease was not the only drama that Margaret Thatcher went through. The relationship with her husband deteriorated, and the only subject she had in common with him was money. Margaret Thatcher attempted to write a book on international affairs in 2001, but it proved a great challenge. The disease affected his memory more and more, and when he was nearing the end of the volume, he could no longer remember anything, so he reread what he wrote many times. The “Iron Lady” regularly went to the doctor and used these visits to prove that she was still in the fullness of her mental faculties. He refuses to admit that he is dealing with a cruel disease.
In 2003, Margaret Thatcher’s husband passed away, and she became even more disoriented than before. Her memory was getting more and more impaired, to the point where she didn’t even remember having a son, Marvin, just days after relatives gave him to a foster family. Robin Harris recalls the Iron Lady’s final speech. In 2005, when she turned 80, Thatcher organized a dinner at which Queen Elizabeth was also present. The celebrant gave a speech in which she thanked the guests for their participation. She learned by heart what she had to say, but those close to her realized that she was forgetting the occasion of the event. In 2008, while in the House of Lords, the former Prime Minister of England fainted. A newspaper that day published excerpts from Thatcher’s daughter’s book, where she talks about her mother’s symptoms of dementia. When she read the articles, she was shocked by the ease with which her daughter talked about the illness she didn’t want to acknowledge. Suffering several minor strokes, but in 2009, on Christmas morning, he suffered a major stroke, which left him with visible effects. A few months later, he was unable to utter a sentence, making it difficult to speak. On April 8, 2013, Margaret Thatcher died, aged 87, after another stroke. Doctors said the “Iron Lady” died quickly and without feeling much pain.
By Sara Colin
