In early 2013, Thatcher, an 88-year-old iron lady, seemed to have a premonition that she would soon die, and suddenly made a request to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, hoping that after her death, the United Kingdom would hold a high-level funeral for her, with the Royal Army providing her with funeral rites and soldiers who had participated in the Falklands War being responsible for carrying her coffin.
As soon as the news came out, many people attacked, some people said that Margaret Thatcher was too strong, and even her own funeral had to be controlled by herself.
The funeral, which was estimated to cost as much as £10 million, was eventually approved by Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron.
On April 8 of that year, Margaret Thatcher died, and the funeral was indeed held as she had arranged by her own hands.
Since Margaret Thatcher entered politics until her death, she has maintained a strong control over politics and her life, especially when she won a war during her tenure, which made her super confident.
However, the tough Margaret Thatcher also has a place of strength. The only thing she has not controlled in her life is a fall in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 1982.
First, the Iron Lady who was born tough
Margaret Thatcher was born in 1925, a year older than Queen Elizabeth II. Her tough style is said to have come from her father, who was not much of an official, serving only as a town councillor, chairman of the town finance committee, counselor, and mayor from 1945 to 1946 in their native town.
Don't look at the official, but the political enlightenment for Margaret Thatcher is quite significant. While the little girls of her age were still in love, Margaret Thatcher had begun to exercise her political thinking under the subtlety of her father.
Margaret Thatcher was well educated, graduated from Oxford University, the world's top university, and first studied chemistry. But during college, the beautiful woman with a good face and a line of suitors gradually became interested in politics. She joined the Conservative Association at Oxford University and became president.
Margaret Thatcher excitedly told people that politics had melted into her blood.
After graduating from college, getting married and having children, thatcher's political desire in her blood became stronger and stronger, and she bounced back impatiently like a spring that had been pressed to the bottom, eagerly pursuing, and eagerly hoping to participate in politics. In order to lay a good foundation for politics, in 1953 she studied law with a big belly and successfully qualified as a solicitor in the Bar Association before giving birth.
As if God (the foreign devils used to say God, let's go into the countryside and use the Chinese saying) was also rewarding her, and after obtaining this qualification, Margaret Thatcher gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy, and Thatcher was happy to go crazy.
After constant pursuit and hard work, in 1970, the 45-year-old Margaret Thatcher successfully entered the British government as a minister. In 1975, Margaret Thatcher won the Battle of the Conservative Leaders.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher was successfully elected Prime Minister, becoming the first female Prime Minister in British history.
After Thatcher came to power, there was no sense of fear of women taking the throne for the first time. After all, the United Kingdom has always had a tradition of queenship, such as the earliest "Bloody Mary", Elizabeth I, and the "European grandmother" Victoria I, the queen of the ultra-long standby reign for 64 years, second only to the current Queen Elizabeth II (who took the throne in 1952, now in the 70th year), these queens have made great contributions to britain's gradual glory.
Margaret Thatcher and Elizabeth II in their later years
More than two years after Thatcher came to power, she faced a territorial dispute. In the face of Argentina's struggle with Britain for the Malvinas Islands in the far southern hemisphere, Margaret Thatcher did not hesitate to choose to solve the problem by means of war.
The war was a stark manifestation of Margaret Thatcher's super-toughness.
The Falklands are only 500 km from Argentina and 13,000 km from the British mainland.
It is extremely difficult to deliver troops over long distances, and even if they are fought, it is difficult to hold on, after all, this is guarding the door of others' homes.
Although there were many voices of opposition in the country and tens of millions of reasons for opposing the war, Margaret Thatcher decided to fight a war with a tough attitude of invincibility.
During that time, Margaret Thatcher stayed in her office all day, working day and night on matters from the front.
Margaret Thatcher was very energetic, claiming to sleep only 5 hours a day, and after becoming prime minister, she slept only 4 hours a day.
And during the Falklands War, she set a super no-sleep record:
I didn't go to bed for three months.
This is certainly not to say that you don't sleep for three months, but that you don't sleep continuously, just intermittently nap.
According to Mrs. Thatcher's personal assistant at the time, Ms. Cynthia Crawford, recalled: "Mrs. Thatcher was almost sleepless for 3 consecutive months in the Prime Minister's Mansion in Downing Street during the War on The Island of Anglo-Armagh and never changed into pajamas, and the reason why she did not want to sleep was so that she could immediately go to work as soon as there was an emergency, she wanted to avoid the trouble of getting up and getting dressed, and I also taught her how to recover her strength through a short 20-minute nap, which we call snooze." In addition to her nighttime sleep, she usually took another nap the next afternoon, and she kept this habit ever since. ”
The reason why we do not skimp on the space to say so much about Thatcher's toughness and dedication is to let everyone use a contrasting eye to see how much Thatcher has suffered in China.
Second, confront Deng Xiaoping
In September 1982, before the smoke of the Anglo-Armagh War had cleared, Margaret Thatcher, armed with the remnants of victory, came to China on her toes to negotiate the return of Hong Kong.
At first, the British were reluctant to return Hong Kong. Before the end of World War II, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt persuaded British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to return Hong Kong to China in order to strengthen the unity of the allies. The tough and accustomed Churchill said arbitrarily: "If you want to take back Hong Kong, you must first cross over me." ”
By the early 1980s, there were very few British colonies overseas, and the British were even more reluctant to easily abandon Hong Kong, the "jewel in the crown of the Queen of Britain", and try to create all kinds of pressure on Hong Kong's return to China.
As a veteran hard-line politician, Margaret Thatcher wanted to use the aftermath of the Battle of the Falklands to oppress China in an attempt to gain a little more on the Hong Kong issue.
Deng Xiaoping knew all this. He has also long been prepared for various "battles".
At 9:00 a.m. on September 24, 1982, Deng Xiaoping met with Margaret Thatcher at the Great Hall of the People.
On this day, the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher came to the Great Hall of the People ahead of schedule.
Dressed in a red-dot silk blazer dress on a blue background, black high heels on her feet, a black handbag in her hand, and a pearl necklace around her neck, Mrs. Thatcher in her prime looks graceful and radiant.
Margaret Thatcher first came to the Xinjiang Hall of the Great Hall, where 78-year-old Deng Yingchao was already standing at the door to greet her.
Mrs. Thatcher shook hands with Deng Yingchao and presented a beautiful bouquet of flowers at the same time. When she visited China as leader of the Conservative Party five years ago, Margaret Thatcher met Deng Yingchao. This reunion, the two talked very happily. After bidding farewell to Deng Yingchao from the Xinjiang Hall, Margaret Thatcher came to the Fujian Hall to hold talks with Deng Xiaoping.
Margaret Thatcher had heard Americans say before that Deng Xiaoping was a "small man who could not be defeated", and when he visited the United States at the age of 75, he actually blew a whirlwind of Deng's, which showed that his political charm and personality charm were extraordinary.
But Margaret Thatcher has a very deep heart, after all, Britain has just won a war, and she has the courage to break her wrist with the 78-year-old.
Before the talks could begin, however, Thatcher was caught off guard by Deng Xiaoping.
Margaret Thatcher said: "As the current prime minister visiting China, it is a pleasure to see you. ”
Deng Xiaoping then said, "Yes, I know several British prime ministers, but all the people I know have now stepped down." Welcome. ”
Thatcher suddenly felt something was wrong, what? All stepped down? It's a big truth, but it's a bit unheard.
Deng Xiaoping's rhetoric was indeed sharp, and Thatcher lost in momentum as soon as he started. How could she not understand that she was obviously better than Deng Xiaoping in terms of energy and better than Deng Xiaoping in the majesty of the victorious country, and how she fell behind as soon as she spoke?
In fact, Thatcher really looked up to himself too much.
Although the form of the Falklands War was very strange, and the British army went thousands of miles to block the door of Argentina to fight a small island, no matter the size of the troops, the intensity of the war, or the war strategy, in the face of China's war of liberation and the War of Resistance Against Japan, it was not a surprising war. Thatcher was aggressive just by going through such a small war, and she had no idea how many wars Deng Xiaoping had experienced, how many tests of life and death.
Sitting in the office and reading the war report, the Iron Lady, who had zero contact with the front-line troops and had never even seen blood, did not have the open-mindedness and composure that Deng Xiaoping had experienced life and death and survived the rain of bullets and bullets.
After entering the Fujian Hall, the talks began. Due to the high level of secrecy of the talks, all the journalists were invited out.
The talks were scheduled for an hour and a half, and reporters were waiting at the gate of the Great Hall of the People, anxiously waiting for what would be achieved in the century talks.
Wait, wait, an hour has passed. The reporters adjusted the voice recorders, cameras, and cameras and prepared to start the interview.
Wait, wait, an hour and a half has arrived. The reporters of the major radio stations at home and abroad can't help but move forward involuntarily to seize the best position.
But the door of the Fujian Hall was not opened. Instead, the staff took some tea and towels and frequently went in and out of the hall.
Wait, wait, another half an hour has passed, the reporters are a little unable to stand, some assistants carrying "heavy equipment" had to put the camera on the ground, sit on the steps and wait.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, the door of the Fujian Hall finally opened.
The reporters were in high spirits and quickly rushed forward to try to interview.
However, they all found that something was wrong.
Mrs. Thatcher, who has always appeared in front of the world as a shrewd and capable person, is now looking gray, depressed, and her eyes are very confused, looking like she has collapsed, as if she has experienced an incredible thing.
As Margaret Thatcher walked outside, her attaché shielded the influx of reporters, and it was clear that Margaret Thatcher did not want to be interviewed.
The Iron Lady hurriedly walked down the steps of the Great Hall of the People, and just as she reached the penultimate step, the classic scene that was destined to "be famous for the hereafter" appeared: the high heels and the stone steps stumbled, causing the body to lose its balance, and fell under the stone steps, so that the leather shoes and handbags were also thrown aside, fortunately, she had already reached the flat ground, and the fall was not heavy, and there was no danger.
At the same time, the British ambassador to China, Collida, a soldier and a staff member in a gray mountain suit, immediately joined forces to lift Mrs. Thatcher up, picked up her handbag and patted the soil.
After all, Margaret Thatcher was the leader of a country who had gone through many big scenes, and she quickly resumed her trademark smile and deliberately looked at the reporters to let their cameras record her unfazed state.
However, reporters probably knew without interviewing that Margaret Thatcher was distraught.
Third, the Iron Lady is still suffering from her comeback
In this negotiation in 1982, the Iron Lady could not talk about suffering losses, but she was really conquered by Deng Xiaoping.
Some people say that Thatcher was physically and mentally exhausted by this serious overtime meeting, so he walked unsteadily and fell.
In fact, the negotiations were originally scheduled for an hour and a half, extended by 50 minutes, although it exceeded expectations, but it was nothing in front of Thatcher, who was energetic and slept only 4 hours a day.
What really made her mentally confused and even mentally and physically close to collapse was Deng Xiaoping's attitude of not giving in.
Before coming to China, Margaret Thatcher was well prepared to stir up waters in Hong Kong, and she had three bottom lines.
Ideally, China would recognize the treaties signed during the Qing Dynasty and find ways to turn Hong Kong and Kowloon into British territory, returning only the New Territories to China. Second, return Hong Kong sovereignty to China, but in order to keep Hong Kong's economy prosperous, the British will continue to govern there. The bottom line is to make Hong Kong autonomous.
Who knows, Deng Xiaoping did not pay any attention to Mrs. Thatcher's bottom line at all, and directly said the 17 words that shook the ancient and the present:
Hong Kong is China's territory, and we must take it back!
What's that like?
Just like two martial arts masters competing, one of them prepared more than a dozen sets of martial arts, one will punch for a while, one will take a stake, one will really fight and one will pretend to lose, switching back and forth, trying to disturb the other party's vision.
The other side is a simple single move black tiger to dig out the heart, straight to the point, without having to be wordy.
Coming up is directly more than strength, more than the bottom, than the arrogance.
Thatcher never expected. This Mr. Deng not only saw thoroughly, but also spoke very strongly, leaving no room for anything, pressing step by step, but also advantageous and well-founded, making it impossible to refute.
When it comes to this, Margaret Thatcher simply can't take the trick, and the big move that has been prepared can't be released.
The two-and-a-half-hour talks were not so much talks as that Margaret Thatcher was taught a lesson in sovereignty education by Deng Xiaoping.
Who can sit still? Who can hold on? It's not weird to be vain.
The classic scene of the British Prime Minister wrestling, as if it was deliberately arranged by God, formalized that Margaret Thatcher's inner embarrassment.
Margaret Thatcher was not willing to eat this defeat. After returning to China, she has been on various international occasions, releasing the words of fighting with China to the end, in an attempt to use international forces to stir up the water. But in a hurry, she did not have the courage to go to China to negotiate, because she really could not find a way to deal with Deng Xiaoping head-on.
A year later, former British Prime Minister Heath was entrusted by Margaret Thatcher to go to China to talk with Deng Xiaoping, going around and around, and trying to persuade Deng Xiaoping to accept Thatcher's various ideas, even if it was the last one, to let Hong Kong autonomy.
In response to this kind of Tai Chi-style temptation that China's ancestors played badly, Deng Xiaoping once again showed his amazing insight, saying that China's attitude has long been clear, please don't give Thatcher a pawn.
Heath made a big red face and ran back to London in ashes.
Thatcher's Tai Chi was not successful, and a series of fan operations were launched. Like the famous triangle stool, Black Saturday and the like, they try to stir up water in Hong Kong and threaten China with economic problems.
However, you Margaret Thatcher can't solve the problem in front of her face, how can a few black punches in the back work?
The wanderer has been wandering outside for a hundred years and returning to his mother's mood of retribution, which cannot be eliminated by the power of the world.
Thatcher finally realized his determination to Chinese, and in December 1984, Thatcher returned to Beijing, carefully ascending the steps from where he had fallen two years earlier, formally signing a joint declaration with the Chinese government.
Hong Kong is set!
The People's Daily published an editorial entitled "Major Events in Contemporary World History" in which she praised Margaret Thatcher: "Thatcher was a politician with international influence. Her foresight and wise decision-making have played an important role in the smooth resolution of Hong Kong's problems..."
Fourth, the regret of the Iron Lady's life
Margaret Thatcher has been prime minister since 1979 and re-elected in June 1983 and June 1987. Her first re-election was the benefit of the Falklands War, and the unprecedented support of the strong woman in Britain. When she was re-elected for the second term, she had just "sent" Hong Kong out, but the British did not blame her excessively.
After all, since India's independence in the 1940s, it has become a trend for Britain's major colonies to return to their roots, and no one can say anything. Margaret Thatcher at least did a fairly measured job of being fairly measured in her face, without shame.
In 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister.
In June 1992 Margaret Thatcher was made a life nobleman. In May 1993, he became the 21st Honorary Dean of the College of William-Mary, the oldest university in North America.
Since the death of her husband Dennis Thatcher in 2003, the Iron Lady, who has been in the political arena for many years, seems to have suddenly returned to the state of an ordinary woman, who misses her husband very much and misses her past life more and more. What is even more incredible is that she began to show timidity and hesitation, and her memory became worse and worse.
She hung a portrait of her husband in her dining room. At dinner, she sat across from the portrait and spoke to her husband. The figure of her husband appeared from time to time, and this illusion followed her all the time. So much so that her daughter Carol had to repeat to her mother over and over again the fact that her father had passed away.
Each time, Margaret Thatcher was devastated, as if she had heard the bad news of her husband's death for the first time. In her decades in politics, she has participated in countless campaigns and polemics, and every time she wins or loses, she has a round-the-clock supporter, and he is her husband Dennis. Without Dennis's company, she would not have been prime minister for 11 years. Once, Dennis proudly said to her, "I've had decades of wonderful times with an amazing woman, and all I can do is love and loyalty..." The pain of widowhood took hold of Thatcher's heart. One day at one o'clock in the morning, she suddenly woke up, dressed up and dressed, and asked to visit her husband in the cemetery. Fortunately, the guard in front of the house did not let her leave. Upon learning of this, several of her best friends rushed to the house: "Madam, you need a full-time caregiver." ”
Despite her mental decline due to a stroke in her later years, Margaret Thatcher was still haunted by the unforgettable defeat of that year. In her memoir, The Years of Downing Street, she said, "I couldn't do anything about it either. However, reluctant to leave this matter alone, I wrote a letter to the Chinese government in my private name in March of that year, the content of which made major concessions than before..."
On October 13, 2005, Margaret Thatcher's 80th birthday, whether it is a friend for many years or a former political enemy, many people sent birthday wishes.
After that, Thatcher's energy became more and more scattered. Strong women who once claimed to sleep no more than 5 hours also began to doze off in a recliner during the day.
On the morning of April 8, 2013, Margaret Thatcher died of a stroke at the age of 88. The life of a generation of "Iron Lady" came to an end.