Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography (138 page)

56. This famous picture of Royal Marine commandos captured the improvised courage of the Falklands campaign. British troops ‘yomped’ to victory – and saved Mrs Thatcher’s premiership.

57. At the Falklands Commemoration Service at St Paul’s Cathedral, October 1982, Mrs Thatcher is standing with Admiral Lord Lewin, Chief of the Defence Staff, whom she trusted and admired. She was outraged at attempts by the St Paul’s clergy to avoid giving thanks for the Falklands victory.

58. Mrs Thatcher tours the streets of Strasbourg with President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt for her first European summit, June 1979. She hated it.

59. Arriving at the first session of the Tokyo G7 summit in June 1979, with the US President Jimmy Carter. Their relationship was polite but not warm.

60. En route to Tokyo, Mrs Thatcher stopped at Moscow airport and had her first meeting with the Soviet leadership, in this case the Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin. Both leaders enjoyed their verbal joust.

61. With the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Lusaka, October 1979. There was a problem of ‘Who’s the star?’

62. Mrs Thatcher thought she would be physically attacked when she arrived in Lusaka. Instead she was charmed. This picture of her dancing with the Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda enraged the Tory right.

63 and 64. The Thatchers visited India in April 1981. It suited Margaret better than Denis.

65. Welcoming Indira Gandhi to Downing Street, 1982. The two prime ministers enjoyed the chance to talk about problems with their children.

66. The Queen Mother, the greatest royal Thatcher fan, greets the Prime Minister at a Lancaster House reception congratulating Her Majesty on her eightieth birthday. Mrs Thatcher was notable for curtsying very low to royalty. Lord Soames, like many of the establishment, found this funny.

67. Ronald Reagan ensured that Mrs Thatcher was the first European to visit him in the White House after he became president in January 1981. ‘She’s the only one with balls.’

68. With Airey Neave, soldier, man of secrets, queenmaker, assassination victim.

69. Bernard Ingham, Mrs Thatcher’s blunt but wily press spokesman. He sometimes seemed to know her thoughts before she did.