Denis Thatcher

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Sir Denis Thatcher

Spouse of the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom
In role
4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990
Preceded byAudrey Callaghan
Succeeded byNorma Major
Personal details
Born(1915-05-10)10 May 1915
Lewisham, London, England
Died26 June 2003(2003-06-26) (aged 88)
Chelsea, London, England
Resting placeRoyal Hospital Chelsea
51°29′15″N 0°09′30″W / 51.4874°N 0.1582°W / 51.4874; -0.1582
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)
Margaret Doris Kempson
(m. 1942; div. 1948)
Margaret Roberts
(m. 1951)
Children
Alma materMill Hill School
ProfessionBusiness
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
Years of service1938–1965
RankMajor
Unit
Battles/warsSecond World War

Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE, CStJ, TD (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was a British businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. He was the first male spouse of a British prime minister.[1]

To this day, Thatcher remains the last commoner awarded a British title that could be inherited; he was granted the Thatcher baronetcy in 1990.

Early life[change | change source]

Thatcher was born in Lewisham, London, the oldest child of a New Zealand-born British businessman, Thomas Herbert (Jack) Thatcher. He studied at the Mill Hill School until he left at the age of 18 to become a businessman.

Personal life[change | change source]

Thatcher was married to Margaret Kempson (1918-1996) from 1942 until they divorced in 1948. Then he was married to Margaret Roberts from 1951 until his death in 2003. Thatcher and Margaret had twins: a son, Mark Thatcher, and daughter, Carol Thatcher.

Health[change | change source]

On 17 January 2003, Thatcher underwent a six-hour heart bypass operation. He had been complaining of breathlessness in the weeks before Christmas 2002 and the problem was diagnosed in early January. There, Thatcher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer along with fluid in his lungs.

Death[change | change source]

Thatcher died in Lister Hospital at Westminster in London, England, from pancreatic cancer, aged 88. His body was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium[2] in Richmond, London. His widow, Margaret, died almost 10 years after in 2013.

References[change | change source]

  1. "Margaret Thatcher". Number10.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. "Notable dead at Mortlake" (PDF). Mortlake Crematorium. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2005. Retrieved 14 December 2008.

Other websites[change | change source]