4,000 Police on Duty at Margaret Thatcher's Funeral
In fashion typical of the day, a horse-drawn carriage delivered Margaret Thatcher's coffin to St. Paul's Cathedral in London earlier this morning. The procession route passed a divided crowd, split between cheerers and hecklers. The threat of demonstrations, particularly those from Irish Republicans, caused an influx of security throughout London. The procession was flanked with British Army, Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy as well as over 4,000 Metropolitan Police on duty for the event.
Margaret Thatcher, who died of a stroke on April 8th at the age of 87, was given a "ceremonial" style funeral with full military honors—similar to the funerals accorded to Princess Diana and the Queen Mother.
Over 2,300 people confirmed attendance for the first female prime minister of Britain's funeral. Mourners came from 170 countries and included Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former U.S. House Speaker Next Gingrich, the last apartheid-era president of South Africa F. W. de Klerk, former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. (The Washington Post also includes notable no-shows in their list, which is fascinating).
The current UK Prime Minister David Cameron as well as Thatcher's granddaughter Amanda gave readings. The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, gave the address, in which he noted in a telling turn of phrase, that her funeral was "neither the time nor the place" to debate the Iron Lady's legacy.
