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London Prepares for Thatcher’s Funeral Thatcher’s Coffin Is Brought to St. Paul’s Cathedral
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — Police officers closed off main thoroughfares in central London on Wednesday as the city prepared for the ceremonial funeral of Margaret Thatcher, the country’s first female prime minister whose radical, market-driven policies made her one of its most divisive leaders. LONDON — On a gray and drizzly day, the coffin of Margaret Thatcher left Parliament on Wednesday to be borne to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a ceremonial funeral with military honors that has divided British opinion, much as the former prime minister stirred passions during her lifetime.
In death as in life, Mrs. Thatcher has become an object of fierce debate since she died of a stroke last week at age 87. Even the nature of Wednesday’s ceremony — a state funeral in all but name with full military honors — has provoked complaints about its cost and appropriateness. The last British politician to be accorded such a parting accolade was Winston Churchill in 1965. A hearse took the coffin as far as the chapel of St. Clement Danes where a military guard awaited to place it on a gun carriage for the solemn cortege to St. Paul’s. Crowds lined the streets near Parliament Square and along Whitehall — one of several major thoroughfares closed to traffic.
Mrs. Thatcher was the country’s first female prime minister whose radical, market-driven policies made her one of its most divisive leaders. She died of a stroke last week at age 87.
Even the nature of Wednesday’s ceremony — a state funeral in all but name — has provoked complaints about its cost and appropriateness. The last British politician to be accorded such a parting accolade was Winston Churchill in 1965.
Mrs. Thatcher’s coffin lay overnight in the historic chapel of St. Mary Undercroft in Parliament where the English Civil War leader Oliver Cromwell was said to have stabled his horses in the 17th century. It is to be transported on Wednesday in a solemn cortege, first by a hearse, then by a horse-drawn gun carriage with a mounted escort, to the soaring St. Paul’s Cathedral, along major thoroughfares such as the Strand, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall that have been closed to traffic.Mrs. Thatcher’s coffin lay overnight in the historic chapel of St. Mary Undercroft in Parliament where the English Civil War leader Oliver Cromwell was said to have stabled his horses in the 17th century. It is to be transported on Wednesday in a solemn cortege, first by a hearse, then by a horse-drawn gun carriage with a mounted escort, to the soaring St. Paul’s Cathedral, along major thoroughfares such as the Strand, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall that have been closed to traffic.
Some 4,000 police officers are on duty, along with an honor guard of 700 military personnel. The organizers code-named their preparations True Blue, the traditional color associated with Mrs. Thatcher’s Conservative party. Some 4,000 police officers were on duty, along with an honor guard of 700 military personnel. The organizers code-named their preparations True Blue, the traditional color associated with Mrs. Thatcher’s Conservative party.
Officials were already concerned about the possibility of disruption by political foes of Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving British prime minister for 150 years. But after Monday’s bombing of the Boston Marathon, police have indicated that security will be tighter, particularly in light of the array of dignitaries from around the world among the 2,300 guests in St. Paul’s.Officials were already concerned about the possibility of disruption by political foes of Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving British prime minister for 150 years. But after Monday’s bombing of the Boston Marathon, police have indicated that security will be tighter, particularly in light of the array of dignitaries from around the world among the 2,300 guests in St. Paul’s.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are to attend the ceremony along with hundreds of foreign dignitaries, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. The official American delegation is led by two former secretaries of state, George P. Schultz and James A. Baker 3d. But some British Conservatives have complained that President Obama did not send a senior serving member of his administration. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are to attend the ceremony along with hundreds of foreign dignitaries, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. The official American delegation is led by two more former secretaries of state, George P. Shultz and James A. Baker 3d. But some British Conservatives have complained that President Obama did not send a senior serving member of his administration.
As a mark of respect, lawmakers have ordered the chimes of Big Ben to be silenced during the funeral, while artillery rounds boom from the Tower of London. Flags flew at half staff across the city. The guests also included F. W. de Klerk, the last white president of South Africa, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Figures from the opposition Labour party included former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Ed Miliband, the current party leader.
As a mark of respect, lawmakers have ordered the chimes of Big Ben to be silenced during the funeral, while artillery rounds boom from the Tower of London. Flags flew at half-staff across the city.
Government officials have said the funeral service is designed avoid political overtones and will center on hymns and prayers.Government officials have said the funeral service is designed avoid political overtones and will center on hymns and prayers.
But one of the hymns at least — “I Vow to Tree, My Country,” with stirring, Victorian lyrics — is regarded as an anthem of the fierce patriotism ascribed to Mrs. Thatcher throughout her tenure from 1979 to 1990 and particularly when she ordered warships 8,000 miles across the Atlantic to dislodge Argentine troops from the Falkland Islands.But one of the hymns at least — “I Vow to Tree, My Country,” with stirring, Victorian lyrics — is regarded as an anthem of the fierce patriotism ascribed to Mrs. Thatcher throughout her tenure from 1979 to 1990 and particularly when she ordered warships 8,000 miles across the Atlantic to dislodge Argentine troops from the Falkland Islands.
That war, which claimed hundreds of lives, rankles still with Argentina, which claims the islands and whose ambassador, British news reports said, declined an invitation to attend Wednesday’s ceremony.That war, which claimed hundreds of lives, rankles still with Argentina, which claims the islands and whose ambassador, British news reports said, declined an invitation to attend Wednesday’s ceremony.
While some Britons have protested about the fanfare surrounding the funeral of Mrs. Thatcher — whose death certificate listed her occupation as “retired stateswoman” — Prime Minister David Cameron said in a BBC interview before attending the service that it would be “quite a somber event but it is a fitting tribute to a great prime minister, respected around the world.”While some Britons have protested about the fanfare surrounding the funeral of Mrs. Thatcher — whose death certificate listed her occupation as “retired stateswoman” — Prime Minister David Cameron said in a BBC interview before attending the service that it would be “quite a somber event but it is a fitting tribute to a great prime minister, respected around the world.”
“I think other countries in the world would think Britain had got it completely wrong if we didn’t mark this in a proper way,” he said.“I think other countries in the world would think Britain had got it completely wrong if we didn’t mark this in a proper way,” he said.
Critics have claimed that the authorities have sought to cloak the true cost of the ceremony by not accounting for the deployment of the police and the military. One protester, standing in a persistent, blustery drizzle along with around 1,000 spectators outside St. Paul’s on Wednesday, held up a placard complaining that the funeral would cost the equivalent of $15 million at a time when many Britons are facing hard times under the government’s austerity program. Critics have claimed that the authorities have sought to cloak the cost of the ceremony by not accounting for the deployment of the police and the military. One protester, standing in a persistent drizzle along with around 1,000 spectators outside St. Paul’s on Wednesday, held up a placard complaining that the funeral would cost the equivalent of $15 million at a time when many Britons are facing hard times under the government’s austerity program.
In his BBC interview, Mr. Cameron was asked whether he accepted that Mrs. Thatcher had been a divisive figure and replied by saying that she created a new consensus. “In a way we are all Thatcherites now,” he said. In his BBC interview, Mr. Cameron was asked whether he accepted that Mrs. Thatcher had been a divisive figure and replied by saying that she created a new consensus. “In a way, we are all Thatcherites now,” he said.

Stephen Castle contributed reporting.

Stephen Castle contributed reporting.