Margaret Thatcher worried she had 'failed her children' in old age
Thatcher feared she was a 'successful wife and unsuccessful mother'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Margaret Thatcher worried she had neglected her children in her final years, her biographer has claimed.
The journalist Charles Moore spent long periods of time interviewing the first and only female Prime Minister after he was chosen as her official biographer.
Moore, who developed a relationship with Baroness Thatcher over the course of 18 years, also interviewed 286 people for the final volume of his forthcoming biography, which has yet to be published.
Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister three times and had two children, Carol and Mark Thatcher, who were adults when she began her first term in office.
“In old age she had regrets about private things,” Mr Moore told The Times. “About whether she had failed her children.”
Carol, a journalist and broadcaster, described how her 'superwoman' mother balanced a career in politics with a domestic life in 2013.
“She was always flat out, she never relaxed, household chores were done at breakneck speed in order to get back to the parliamentary correspondence or get on with making up a speech, she told the BBC.
Mr Moore claimed she also feared she had spent time at home with her family thinking about other matters, describing her as “a successful wife and an unsuccessful mother”.
Born in Grantham to a grocery shop owner, Thatcher went on to become a formidable and devisive Prime Minister, earning the nickname the ‘Iron Lady’ and a reputation for refusing to yeild in almost any circumstance. She died in 2003 from a stroke after suffering from dementia and years of poor health.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments