The funeral of Margaret Thatcher, the first female British prime minister, started 11am local time today at St Paul’s Cathedral, reports China’s Xinhua news agency.

 

The funeral was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, two heads of state and 11 serving prime ministers, among more than 2,000 people in the cathedral.  

It followed a procession, when the coffin, covered by a union flag, was taken by a gun carriage from the church of St Clement Danes, the central church of the Royal Air Force.

Bearers were personnel from units and regiments involved in the Malvinas (Falklands) campaign, which was always recognised one of the highlights in Thatcher’s tenure.

About 4,000 police forces lined along the route to ensure security. Flags on government buildings were lowered to half-mast, and the Big Ben on the Parliament tower was set to be silenced for the funeral.

David Cameron said before the funeral that he “learnt a huge amount from watching” Thatcher at work, and today he felt “a great pride in all that she achieved, tinged with sadness”.

Dubbed the ‘Iron Lady’, Thatcher was more controversial than admired as the longest-serving prime minister in Britain during the last century, being in office for 11 years. She died on April 8 from a stroke at the age of 87.

Her body was taken to the crypt chapel of St Mary Undercroft. About 100 of her family members as well as colleagues and senior politicians had attended a private service.

- Bernama