- Margaret Thatcher's husband, Denis, was a private man who played a pivotal role in supporting the prime minister behind the scenes.
- Prior to being known as the first spouse, Thatcher was a successful executive and served in the British military.
- Denis Thatcher (and Margaret) make their first appearances as characters on The Crown in season 4. They're played by Stephen Boxer and Gillian Anderson, respectively.
Former prime minster Margaret Thatcher is a well known across the global stage. But the accomplishments of her private husband, Denis Thatcher, are far less discussed.
The pair married in 1951 and stayed together for over 50 years, including during her time as the leader of England from 1979 - 1990.
“I could never have been prime minister for more than 11 years without Denis by my side. He was a fund of shrewd advice and penetrating comment," Margaret Thatcher wrote in her autobiography. "And he very sensibly saved these for me rather than the outside world.”
Denis died in 2003, and was remembered for his wit, his reluctance to speak with the press, and his motto as the partner of the most powerful politician in England, which was to be "always present, never there."
Interested parties will now get a closer glimpse–albeit a partially fictionalized one–into the lives of Denis and Margaret Thatcher in season 4 of The Crown. To help prime you with more information about this under-the-radar figure, here's what you should know about Denis Thatcher.
Thatcher grew up wealthy, earned several military honors, and worked in the chemical industry.
Born in Lewisham, London in 1915, Thatcher first served in the army during World War II, rising to the rank of major in 1946 before being demobilized. During his tenure, he was praised for his tactical and organizational skills, including planning large troop movements.
After leaving the military, Thatcher became a successful chemical executive, running his family's profitable company, Atlas, and eventually selling it in 1965.
Denis Thatcher continued his business career after Margaret was elected.
After selling Atlas to Castrol, it was eventually taken over by Burmah Oil, which he worked for as part of the parent company board.
Denis's obituary in The Guardian notes that "When Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative opposition in 1975, and the media besieged the family home in Flood Street, Chelsea, her husband was at his desk at Burmah Oil before nine the next morning—as if nothing had happened."
He continued working until later that year, retiring as the divisional director of Burmah Oil. By that point, he became more involved as his wife's consort.
Per The Guardian, he was once asked what his wife did for work by a stranger, and replied, "She has a temporary job."
Denis was previously married...to another Margaret.
Denis Thatcher was married twice in his life, and both times just so happened to be to women named Margaret. He met Margaret Kempson in 1941 and the pair married the following year. At the time, he was serving in the military, and so the two spent little time together, which ultimately led to a divorce in 1948, according to the Guardian.
He met then-Margaret Roberts in 1950 at an event for the Conservative Party, and the pair married in 1951, staying together until his death in June 2003. Still, it clearly took some wooing on Denis's part, as Margaret Thatcher once said that their courtship was "certainly not" love at first sight, per The Telegraph.
Thatcher was extremely private, referring to himself as the "most shadowy husband of all time."
Despite his stature, Denis Thatcher shied away from the spotlight and according to The New York Times rarely ever gave interviews. He was known for self-effacing humor and speaking plainly and directly when he did choose to address reporters.
Prior to his death, he did an interview with his daughter, Carol, where he shared some thoughts on how to handle situations around the media.
"Don't give them a chance to either make fun or be rude," he said. "And certainly don't get caught by the press having too much to drink. You had to be a bit cunning."
According to the BBC, he even may have referred to journalists as "reptiles." Part of his ire likely came from the fact that he was parodied in publications like the satirical magazine Private Eye. When the BBC ran a gag radio story about his wife legalizing hard drugs, Denis wrote to the outlet, describing the broadcast as "a disgrace by any standard, however low."
Away from the public eye, Denis Thatcher had his share of struggles, including a reported "nervous breakdown" in 1964 that, per The Telegraph, may have led him to consider a divorce from Margaret.
Denis's politics largely aligned with his wife's—with one notable exception.
Both Thatchers were members of the Conservative Party (otherwise known as the Tories), and Denis even ran once for office as part of the Kent County Council, albeit unsuccessfully. Denis broadly seemed to support his wife's policies, never contradicting her in public, and little behind-the-scenes reporting indicates that they were at odds ideologically.
The couple were targeted by the Irish Republican Army in 1984, as the radical group planted a bomb in the hotel where they were staying. The Thatchers were unharmed, though five people were killed and another 30 sustained injuries as a result of the explosion. The prime minister came down hard against the IRA, prompted by that experience as well as the assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten.
But there was one notable political issue which the famously aligned couple seemed to differ on. Documents indicate that Margaret Thatcher supported the reinstitution of the death penalty, a view that was not shared by Denis, who went so far as to call the practice "barbaric," according to the Telegraph.
As her political career wound down, Denis advocated for Margaret to resign, saying that she had "done enough." She did so in 1990, after a leadership challenge within the Conservative party left her with a lack of support. According to The Guardian, Denis predicted the backlash against Margaret back in 1987, following her last election win.
"In a year, she'll be so unpopular you won't believe it," he said.
Denis and Margaret's only children were twins.
Mark and Carol, the two Thatcher children, came into the world in dramatic fashion, born prematurely in 1953, according to Chris Ogden's Maggie. Their parents' success, high-stakes careers, and notoriety meant that the family was not especially close, and both children were sent off to boarding school young.
"Family rushed past us, eclipsed by the sheer pace of my mother’s career as she worked her way up the greasy political pole,” Carol reportedly said, per The Guardian. “And my father’s as well, when he was running his own family business. We never had long, relaxed, talking Sunday lunches.”
Mark is known for being part of the amateur car racing world, and in 1980 he participated in Le Mans, one of the most storied and prestigious races in the world.
He is also known for disappearing for several days along with two racing teammates in the Sahara desert in 1982, per the BBC. This event is covered in season 4 of The Crown. Mark was participating in the Dakar Rally (then known as the Paris-Dakar Rally), another prestigious race, when his car broke down. He was eventually found by Algerian military.
Carol Thatcher carved out a career as a writer and media figure, penning books about both her father (Below the Parapet) and her mother (A Swim-on Part in the Goldfish Bowl).
The Guardian noted that Mark was the one closer with Margaret, while Carol was referred to as "very much the twin less favoured by her mother."
Denis Thatcher died in 2003 surrounded by family.
On June 26, 2003, Denis Thatcher passed away in a London hospital with his wife and two children by his side, per The New York Times. The paper reported that he had been having health struggles for several months following a heart bypass procedure, and he was 88 years old.
Obituaries focused on his shying away from the spotlight, his quick wit, and the history of his relationship with Margaret. She lived until April 8 2013, but never remarried.
He and Margaret make their first appearance in season 4 of The Crown.
Much has been made of Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Margaret Thatcher on this season of The Crown, which is the first time the former prime minister will be depicted on the show.
Season 4 will also be the first time we see Denis, who will be played by veteran British character actor Stephen Boxer. Boxer is best known from his role in the British medical soap opera Doctors, as well as detective procedurals like Prime Suspect.
Denis Thatcher has previously been portrayed by Rory Kinnear in The Long Walk to Finchley, Jim Broadbent in The Iron Lady, and Ian McDiarmid in Margaret.
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Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. He has written for Billboard, Complex, and i-D, among other outlets.
