Text/Zhang Jiankui
"Thatcher was one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century, and she proved that women could not only do what men do, but also do things that men can't. That's what a lot of international media say about Margaret Thatcher. But in the eyes of the British, Margaret Thatcher made them "love and hate". In 2002, Margaret Thatcher was ranked 16th in the BBC's "100 Greatest Britons" poll. However, just a year later, a British television station conducted a poll of "the 100 worst Britons you hate the most", and Margaret Thatcher "came out" in third place – ahead of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and star Jordan.
In the eyes of many Britons, Margaret Thatcher was more of a woman "distorted" by politics in her work and life.
Crafting the "Thatcher Style"
In the Oxford Dictionary, there are two English words related to Margaret Thatcher, the noun "Thatcherism" and the verb "handbag", which means "lash out".
Margaret Thatcher once led the fashion trend of the 80s of the 20th century, and also influenced the style of many female leaders. But in the early days of her tenure as prime minister, Margaret Thatcher's dress was not well received, and some media even ridiculed her for being too cumbersome. But Thatcher quickly found a style label for herself – blue and pearl. At the beginning of her second term as prime minister, her style changed: pearl necklaces, brooches, large round earrings, long-sleeved shirts, blue skirts, high heels, and a black handbag, which eventually led to the "Thatcher style of dressing".
Former French President Francois Mitterrand once described Margaret Thatcher's bright image as "eyes like Caligula, lips like Marilyn Monroe." "Caligula was a tyrant of the Roman Empire. Mitterrand's sentence somewhat alludes to the extremely contradictory image of the "Iron Lady". On the one hand, she has a feminine and feminine quality; On the other hand, she shows a man's toughness in the fiercely contested political arena. And that's reflected in her look, which is that she wants to put her outfit to serve her political career well.
In terms of hairstyle, Margaret Thatcher has always maintained a constant helmet-like hairstyle, showing her indomitable and resolute character; In terms of clothing, she chose the kind of large, wide-shouldered Yagershidan dress, which reflects an awe-inspiring image; In terms of tone, she prefers blue, because it not only makes people look elegant and stable, but also the representative color of the Conservative Party; In jewelry, she loves pearls alone, because she believes that "an ordinary dress can look extraordinary as long as it is paired with pearls". The combined image of these elements is significant in a male-dominated political environment.
The accessories that best show Thatcher's political personality are, of course, her handbag. In her handbag, in addition to the comb and lipstick commonly used by women, there are notebooks, official documents, and even books in a certain field of expertise. Whenever it encounters a political opponent, it becomes a "weapon" against the opponent. When in meetings, Margaret Thatcher liked to keep her handbag in the center of the conference table, so that she could take out the materials or data at any time to argue with her opponents. Once, when the young Blair, as an opposition MP, arrogantly asked the prime minister if she had read something written by the British economist John Maynard Keynes, Mrs. Thatcher unhurriedly took out a Keynesian book from her handbag and casually said some of the contents of the book. Since then, "Margaret Thatcher's handbag" has become a buzzword in the UK, and "handbag" has been included as a verb in the Oxford Dictionary. The meaning of "fierce attack" it represents is exactly what the "Iron Lady" often says and does - "controlling the opponent is the most cruel punishment to him".
Have a happy marriage
When Margaret Thatcher was first elected prime minister in 1979, she said: "He who knows how to run a family will know more thoroughly how to run a country." All along, the British media have been asking her husband, Sir Dennis: Are you really happy to have shared a bed with a strong woman who "has politics in her blood" for decades? Because Dennis has always kept a low profile, he almost never gives interviews to the media. However, Big Media still commented that in addition to her political success, Margaret Thatcher also met a good husband.
Margaret Roberts, Margaret Roberts, was born in 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, where her parents owned a small grocery store. Margaret grew up in a poor family, but she studied at Oxford University on a scholarship and later worked for a chemical company. She was well-read and politically enthusiastic, and was actively involved in a number of election campaigns at an early age. In 1949, Margaret met the tall, handsome, and well-mannered Denis Thatcher at a political rally. Dennis was 10 years older than Margaret, had served in World War II, had been deserved, was the managing director of a paint chemical company, and had a failed marriage. He was a shrewd businessman, with a high income, but a low-key and gentle man.
Dennis and Margaret fell in love at first sight, and when it was getting late, he sent her back to his lodgings. After that, Dennis used to take Margaret for a ride in his Jaguar (now "Jaguar") car. During the exchange, the two found that they were like-minded with each other, both liked to read, listen to music and study economics, and soon met and fell in love with each other. In December 1951, they entered the palace of marriage. In 1953, Margaret Thatcher gave birth to a pair of "dragon and phoenix" twins: son Mark and daughter Carol.
Margaret Thatcher said that her husband liked sports, especially golf, but she did not like them at all; He smokes and drinks alcohol, which she doesn't like but tolerates. Because the most important thing is that the husband and wife "never disagreed" on fundamental issues. Recalling her first days as a mother, Margaret Thatcher wrote in her memoirs: "At that time, mothers generally had to stay in the hospital for about three weeks before being discharged. But I want to stay in the hospital for more than two weeks, so that in the next few days, I have time again. I talked to Dennis about what to do, and he said that whatever decision I made, he would support me. ”
During her campaign as leader of the Conservative Party for Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher often got up at 7 a.m. and was busy until 2 or 3 p.m. the next night, and she also gave speeches all over Britain. Dennis never complained about this, nor did he mess with flowers because of loneliness. In addition, Dennis deliberately stayed away from power disputes and never intervened behind the scenes. Even the media, which was hostile to Margaret Thatcher, had to admit that there was no excuse or leverage from Dennis, and that the "backyard" of the female prime minister was always clean and peaceful.
Margaret Thatcher's love for her husband was also in the news. "Whenever she had time, Margaret Thatcher was always happy to cook delicious meals for Dennis and her precious children, and even bought bacon without letting the secretary do it for her. She continued to make her husband's breakfast every day until 1979, when she became prime minister. "There are media reports like this.
It wasn't until 2002, a year before Dennis's death, that people "discovered" another meaning. That fall, Dennis gave his first and last television interview. When asked by the moderator what marriage meant to him, Dennis sighed, rubbed his body in the chair, then patted his thigh and said, "Happy life, of course!" After a pause, he added, "...... And comradeship!" These words quickly reminded people of what Margaret Thatcher said in an interview - "Without Dennis, I would have achieved nothing in politics." Obviously, in addition to emotional support, Dennis's assets also played a role in Margaret Thatcher's political career. Because in the UK, parliamentarians were paid very little salaries, and Dennis was Margaret Thatcher's solid wealth.
Won the war, but fell in Beijing
"When I became Prime Minister, I never imagined that one day I would have to order the British army to fight, and during the war, I never lived so intensely or so tightly in my life. ”
History should remember this day, April 2, 1982, when a woman gave the order to go to war. Margaret Thatcher lived in the Prime Minister's Office at No. 10 Downing Street for almost three years, and taught the disobedient trade unions and disobedient cabinet members in the country almost a lesson, and the Argentine military junta President Galtieri suddenly attacked the British and Argentine disputed Malvinas Islands, giving her an opportunity to prove that "war, let women go away" is a nonsense.
All day on April 2, Margaret Thatcher was arguing with cabinet members. There are good reasons not to go to war: the Falklands are more than 4,000 kilometers from the British mainland, it takes a long time for the fleet to arrive, and it is located in the southern hemisphere, and the severe storms in winter make the climate in the South Atlantic harsh.
At the critical moment, Henry Rich, Chief of the Naval Staff, opened up: "I can form a task force consisting of destroyers, cruisers, landing ships, and support ships, led by the ships HMS Royal Helms and the Invincible, and in 48 hours they can set off, which is enough to recover the islands." Prime Minister, I just need you to give me the authority to form a fleet. ”
"I'm empowering you now!"
The war lasted 11 weeks, and the British society, which had been fighting for economic reforms, was unprecedentedly united, and Prince Andrew, the third in line to the throne, went to the front. On 14 June, the Afghan army surrendered, and the British regained control of the Falklands. The female prime minister is impressive.
Three months later, however, the hard-line prime minister had to back down in another game.
On the morning of September 24, 1982, Margaret Thatcher visited China and met Deng Xiaoping in the Fujian Room of the Great Hall of the People. As soon as they met, she said, "I am visiting China as the current prime minister, and I am very happy to see you. ”
Deng Xiaoping replied: "Yes, I know several British prime ministers, and all of them I know have now stepped down." You're welcome!"
Margaret Thatcher preemptively demanded that British jurisdiction over the entire Hong Kong region remain unchanged after 1997. But Deng Xiaoping was unmoved, and at one point said he could take Hong Kong now. Mrs. Thatcher changed color when she heard this: "He really lived up to the name of pragmatism." ”
After the talks, Margaret Thatcher appeared on the steps of the Great Hall of the People with a solemn face, subconsciously smiled at reporters, but when she reached the penultimate step, she stepped on the air and fell to the ground, even her handbag fell to the side.
In 1984, Margaret Thatcher visited China again and signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Hong Kong Question. In 1997, she attended the handover ceremony in Hong Kong.
The "failed mother" regretted going into politics
In terms of love, Margaret Thatcher is happy, but in terms of parent-child relationship, she is indeed a "failed mother".
In 2012, the book "Spencer's Diary", a collection of the diaries of senior Conservative MP Spencer, was published. The book reveals Margaret Thatcher's conversation with Spencer in April 1995, in which Margaret Thatcher confessed: "If I could turn back the clock, I would never go into politics, because my family has paid too high a price for my political career." ”
As a young man, Margaret Thatcher was so busy with state affairs that she had little time to spend with her children. After stepping down from the highest position in Britain, she increasingly longed for the warmth of family reunion, but sometimes, her daughter Carol and son Mark were not even with their mother for Christmas.
Her daughter, Carol, is a journalist who runs around and often lives in Switzerland with her boyfriend and can't be with her mother. She could not even sympathize with Margaret Thatcher's loneliness: "A mother should not expect too much from her adult children to come home from time to time to see her. We've all experienced the days when our families weren't around, and we never saw our mothers when we were young. In contrast, Carol was closer to her father, Dennis. She wrote a biography of her father, and it was full of love. But in 2008, when she wrote another book, Swimming in a Goldfish Bowl, she documented some "cases" that proved that her mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease, such as "sometimes, she had to struggle to organize her language and couldn't even remember what she had eaten for breakfast." These contents involve privacy, and even Margaret Thatcher's friends are a little dissatisfied when they read it.
Obviously, Margaret Thatcher was also more doting on her son, but "a loving mother has many losers", and Mark has always caused her trouble, and she has often been blamed for her son's education. Mark grew up in the most famous aristocratic school, but his grades were extremely poor, but because of his mother's special status, many prestigious universities still competed to recruit him. Mark was the king at school, including the teachers did not dare to mess with him, and almost every few days, Margaret Thatcher, who was busy with state affairs, had to go home to clean up the "mess" for her son.
When Mark became an adult, he married Diane, a wealthy American girl. With his mother's status and his wife's wealth, Mark has been involved in a series of "adventures" in Africa, the Middle East and Asia to earn money. In 1995, he moved to South Africa with his wife and two children, but in 2004 he was arrested at home on charges of participating in a coup d'état in Equatorial Guinea. After learning of her son's accident, Margaret Thatcher dragged her sick body to South Africa. Later, the case was closed with a "four-year suspended sentence" and a fine of £313,000, and whether Margaret Thatcher paid the fine for her son out of her own pocket, but Mark didn't care. At the mention of this younger brother, Carol was very angry: "My mother's health is deteriorating, and it has nothing to do with my brother, who is not angry. ”
The pain and sorrow of the last years of the wind and candle
In addition to the loneliness of life, Margaret Thatcher was in poor health in her later years. In 2002, she suffered several mild strokes in quick succession, leaving her with memory loss. The death of her husband in 2003 made her even worse, her memory deteriorated, and she could not even remember the events of her husband's death.
According to media reports, Margaret Thatcher hung a portrait of her husband in her dining room in her later years. Every time she eats, she sits across from the portrait and talks to her "husband." Sometimes Carol would come home and she would be so happy that she would keep saying while eating, "Daughter, your father didn't leave us, did you see him?" Carroll always bowed her head sadly, and she took Mrs. Thatcher's hand, repeating over and over again: "Mommy, Daddy will never come back." He died five months after heart bypass surgery. You sent him to the cemetery, you remember? He was 88 years old, so don't be sad. ”
The grief of bereavement almost occupied Margaret Thatcher's mind. One night at 1 o'clock in the evening, she suddenly woke up, changed into a costume, and asked to visit her husband at the cemetery, but fortunately the guards in front of the house did not let her leave. When she learned of this, several of her close friends came to her home and persuaded her, "Madam, you need a full-time caregiver." Mrs. Thatcher, who had a strong personality, quarreled and resolutely did not think she needed to be cared for. Her friend had to back down and hire a senior housekeeper for her who had used to do hospital nursing just in case.
In addition to the pain of losing her husband, having too few friends also made her even more lonely. On Margaret Thatcher's 77th birthday, she received only four birthday cards, which left her very disappointed. Four poor cards were carefully placed on the mantelpiece, and Thatcher stared at them in a daze. On the eve of her 80th birthday in 2005, Margaret Thatcher was sitting by the fireplace, and suddenly she had the spirit to tell Carroll that she was going to the hotel to order the best dish and that she was going to set up an 80th birthday party.
Carol did it immediately. On that day, more than 650 people came to cheer, including Queen Elizabeth II, Crown Prince Charles, and then Prime Minister Tony Blair. On that day, Margaret Thatcher was radiant – you know, Elizabeth II had only attended one prime minister's birthday party since she took the throne, and that was former Prime Minister Heath's 80th birthday party in 1996. As the Queen hugged Margaret Thatcher, Carroll caught a rare smile on her mother's face.
But the "brilliance" created in this way is short-lived after all. For a long time, Mrs. Thatcher had a stroke from time to time, and then it became difficult to even read a book or newspaper, because she forgot to read a sentence, and forgot the beginning of a news story before she finished reading it. It was a great pain for her, and it made her lose almost all the strength in her body. Carroll once said of Thatcher in an interview about this period: "Now, only when she talks about life in the Prime Minister's House in Downing Street, can she occasionally see her shadow." ”
Later, in order to be closer to the hospital, Margaret Thatcher moved to live in central London. Every day, she sat in front of the window and stared blankly at Hyde Park outside the window. The mournful sound of Scottish bagpipes conveyed to her the news of the death of her contemporaries: former US President Ronald Reagan, former German President Johannes Rau ...... Margaret Thatcher probably knew that she was getting closer to God. Because only then will she be truly free from all her pain and sorrow.