Queen heads guest list at Lady Thatcher's 80th

[Batgirl]

Baroness Thatcher celebrated her 80th birthday last night at an impressive reception attended by the Queen and the cream of the Establishment.


The Queen greets Lady Thatcher

Lady Thatcher arrived uncharacteristically late at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge but an assistant explained that she had a good excuse - she had been delayed by 15 minutes because she was on the phone to President George W Bush.

Among the guests was Lord Archer, the former vice chairman of the Conservative Party, with his wife Lady Archer. Before they entered, the couple were stopped by a policeman and asked for their invitation.

Lady Thatcher had earlier enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at her London home but her presents were delivered later for security reasons.

Her aide, Cynthia Crawford, said: "She cannot believe she is 80 and neither can I. She looks absolutely wonderful."

Having spent most of her birthday at home with members of her family and close friends, she arrived wearing a navy blue coat and silk chiffon dress by Camilla Milton.

She was followed by Sir John and Lady Major and Tony Blair and his wife Cherie.

The Queen, wearing a cream ensemble, and Prince Philip, in a dinner suit, arrived at a back entrance to the hotel where they were greeted with a curtsey by Lady Thatcher.

They were among 670 people from politics, industry, the arts, showbusiness and sport.

It had emerged earlier that only two of the four contenders for the Tory leadership had been invited, David Davis and Dr Liam Fox.

Kenneth Clarke, a pro-European, was not invited, and it was pointed out that the former prime minister "doesn't know" David Cameron.

Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, was also missing from the guest list.

Michael Howard, who arrived with his wife, Sandra, called Lady Thatcher "a very special lady" and added: "She has made an enormous contribution to the life of our country.

"People forget what a state the country was in 1979. We were on our knees, we were the sick man of Europe. The bulk of the credit for the turnaround that has taken place since then belongs to her."

The occasion was not regarded as an evening for speeches, but a toast to Lady Thatcher was to be proposed briefly by Lord Carrington, the former foreign secretary.

Her doctors advised her some time ago that she should not make public speeches in the wake of some minor strokes, although she still attends the House of Lords regularly.

Many of Lady Thatcher's close friends were among the guests as were her twin children, Carol and Sir Mark Thatcher.

Most members of her former cabinets were invited, including Lord Howe, whose attack on her in the Commons played a key role in her downfall. But Lord Heseltine was not among them.

Among showbusiness figures attending were Joan Collins, Dame Shirley Bassey, June Whitfield, Lord Lloyd-Webber and Sir Tim Rice.

Miss Collins said: "It is a great way to celebrate a great lady who I have absolutely always adored."

Other guests included Terry Wogan, Sir Jimmy Young, Sir Trevor McDonald, Frederick Forsyth, P D James, the comedian Jim Davidson, the television presenter Jeremy Clarkson and chef Marco Pierre White.

Telegraph

[Covertness]

Ever wonder what the world would look like if the Iron Lady was still PM?

[Batgirl]

I wish that I had been old enough to experience her leadership firsthand. There has been no one in Downing Street who has come close to filling her shoes. Imagine if we could return to the Thatcher-Reagan era....

[Covertness]

The WOT might be over by now.

'Course, there might be a big smoking hole where the mid-east is but.....