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Margaret Thatcher funeral: Welsh mourners at service | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Simon Weston and Katherine Jenkins are among mourners from Wales arriving at St Paul's as the funeral procession for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher gets under way. | |
Singer Dame Shirley Bassey, First Minister Carwyn Jones and Welsh Secretary David Jones will also attend the service at 11:00 BST amid a massive security operation. | |
Lady Thatcher died on 8 April, aged 87. | Lady Thatcher died on 8 April, aged 87. |
Two Welsh Guard brothers and Falklands War veterans are pall bearers. | |
Major Nick Mott and his brother Garrison Sergeant Major William "Bill" Mott join representatives from the other two services who will carry the coffin into St Paul's at the end of its procession on a gun carriage. | Major Nick Mott and his brother Garrison Sergeant Major William "Bill" Mott join representatives from the other two services who will carry the coffin into St Paul's at the end of its procession on a gun carriage. |
Both men were on the troop ship Sir Galahad when it suffered heavy losses in an Argentine attack in the Falklands war in 1982, early on in Baroness Thatcher's premiership. | Both men were on the troop ship Sir Galahad when it suffered heavy losses in an Argentine attack in the Falklands war in 1982, early on in Baroness Thatcher's premiership. |
Soldiers from the Welsh Guards will also be among the 700 service personnel lining the processional route. | Soldiers from the Welsh Guards will also be among the 700 service personnel lining the processional route. |
Falklands veteran Simon Weston has arrived at St Paul's, after saying he hoped "beyond all hope" that it would remain a dignified day, despite opposing views about Lady Thatcher. | |
The former Welsh Guard, badly burned on board the Sir Galahad, told ITV's Daybreak on Wednesday: "As far as the protests, everybody has the right to protest, that is part and parcel of living in a democracy, but it is whether people do it in a dignified way. | |
"From some of the things that have been said that might go on, like throwing milk on the street, well that is really going to affect nothing, you know, and it is puerile. | |
"I wish people would stop being so pathetic... grow the hell up and stop being so stupid about this. | |
"Somebody has died, can we not just accept that? Somebody who mattered to other people has died and we should do this in a much more dignified way, the whole world is going to be watching Great Britain." | |
Some 2,300 people, representing 170 countries, are expected to attend and pay tribute to Lady Thatcher, who was prime minister from 1979 to 1990. | Some 2,300 people, representing 170 countries, are expected to attend and pay tribute to Lady Thatcher, who was prime minister from 1979 to 1990. |
A security operation involving more than 4,000 police officers was under way early on Wednesday. | A security operation involving more than 4,000 police officers was under way early on Wednesday. |
'Most honoured' | |
Among the politicians from Wales are assembly Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler, and Welsh Office ministers Stephen Crabb and Baroness Randerson. | |
Conservative assembly leader Andrew RT Davies and MPs Glyn Davies and Guto Bebb are also attending, and MEP Kay Swinburne, and Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd. | |
Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who opposed Mrs Thatcher for much of her premiership in the 1980s is not there, but instead a mourner at the funeral of a former Labour councillor. | |
The Archbishop Of Wales Dr Barry Morgan has also said he was invited but was unable to attend due to prior engagements. | The Archbishop Of Wales Dr Barry Morgan has also said he was invited but was unable to attend due to prior engagements. |
Dame Shirley Bassey said: "She was a truly inspirational woman who always showed me enormous warmth and kindness, and to me the greatest prime minister since Winston Churchill." | |
Fellow singer Katherine Jenkins said she was going because she knew her personally through their work with the military charities. | |
Former paratrooper Denzil Connick, another veteran of the Falklands, will also be in the congregation. | |
Mr Connick, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, met Lady Thatcher several times through his role as secretary of the South Atlantic Medal Association. | Mr Connick, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, met Lady Thatcher several times through his role as secretary of the South Atlantic Medal Association. |
He said he was "quite honoured" to be invited to the funeral, and it was a chance for people to pay their respects "for the good things she did". | He said he was "quite honoured" to be invited to the funeral, and it was a chance for people to pay their respects "for the good things she did". |
Lady Thatcher's union flag-draped coffin was placed in the Palace of Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft overnight on Tuesday. | |
A short service, led by the Dean of Westminster, was held for members of the family, senior parliamentarians, and staff from Parliament and Downing Street. | A short service, led by the Dean of Westminster, was held for members of the family, senior parliamentarians, and staff from Parliament and Downing Street. |
The House of Commons speaker's chaplain kept vigil in the chapel through the night. | The House of Commons speaker's chaplain kept vigil in the chapel through the night. |
The chimes of Big Ben will be silenced for the duration of Lady Thatcher's funeral. St Paul's has published a full funeral order of service. | The chimes of Big Ben will be silenced for the duration of Lady Thatcher's funeral. St Paul's has published a full funeral order of service. |
Several protest events are expected to take place in Wales on Wednesday by opponents of Lady Thatcher. | Several protest events are expected to take place in Wales on Wednesday by opponents of Lady Thatcher. |