Lady Margaret Thatcher, England's first woman to take on the role of Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990, passed away "peacefully" at the age of 87.
Lady Thatcher died at the Ritz hotel in London on Monday from a stroke.
Britain’s flags were lowered to half-mast in observance of her passing today.
Lady Thatcher will be buried with full military honors.
|
Prime Minister David Cameron, who was in Madrid, has cancelled his talks with French President Francois Hollande in Paris that were scheduled for later today to return to England. Before leaving back to his homeland, Cameron told BBC, “Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds. The real thing is she didn’t just lead our country; she saved our country. I believe she will go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister.”
After learning of the Baroness’s passing, President Obama released a statement where he said, “With the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend.”
“As a grocer’s daughter who rose to become Britain’s first female prime minister, she stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered. As prime minister, she helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best. And as an unapologetic supporter of our transatlantic alliance, she knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise.”