The flag draped casket of Margaret Thatcher has left the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England.  More than 2300 guests were at the ceremonial funeral with full military honours for the leader known as the Iron Lady.  Among them, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  He was part of a small Canadian contingent attending the funeral,  joined by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Gordon Campbell, Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom.  Also in attendance was former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, whose years in office overlapped with Margaret Thatcher’s often controversial tenure.

Richard Charles is the Bishop of London and spoke during the service about the political leader who was also loved by her family.  “It must be very difficult for those members of her family and those closely associated with her to recognize the wife, mother and grandmother in the mythological figure.”

Margaret Thatcher was dubbed the Iron Lady as she transformed Britain during her 11 year leadership from 1979 to 1990.  She died of a stroke last week at the age of 87.