Margret Thatcher, a major force in English politics in the last century, has died after suffering from a stroke on Monday. CNN reports that her funeral will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, with full military honors, followed by a private cremation. The daughter of a grocer started from humble beginnings and worked her way to the highest position in the British Parliament—she was the first and only woman to hold the title of Prime Minister in the nation’s history. During the 1980s, the member of the Conservative Party enforced the idea of nationalism and strong foreign policy that garnered her the nickname “Iron Lady” by the Russian press and has since become her moniker. She was unflinching in her ideals of family values and education having been the Education Secretary in the 1970s.
And beyond her political prowess, Thatcher was known for taking her role as mother seriously. “Somehow she juggled working, studying, organizing the household, shopping, cooking, sewing, ironing, and liaising with nanny,” her daughter Carol wrote in 1996. Primarily known for revitalizing the British economy and re-establishing the country as a world power, Thatcher’s political and cultural influence has made an everlasting mark in history. “It comes with great sadness that I learned of Lady Thatcher’s death. We’ve lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton,” David Cameron said in a statement.