Britain’s Iron Lady is being laid to rest with a level of pomp and protest reflecting her status as a commanding, polarizing political figure.
World leaders and dignitaries from 170 countries are attending the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on Wednesday, an elaborate affair with full military honors that will culminate in a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip will be among the mourners, who include 11 prime ministers from around the world, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
Dozens of people camped out overnight near the 17th-century cathedral in hopes of catching a glimpse of Thatcher’s flag-draped coffin and its military escort, and hundreds had arrived hours before the funeral was due to start.
“I came to commemorate the greatest hero of our modern age,” said 25-year-old Anthony Boutall, clutching a blue rose. “She took a nation on its knees and breathed new life into it.”
Flags on government buildings were lowered to half-staff across the country ahead of the service, but not all Britons were joining in the mourning.
Hundreds of political opponents said they would stage a silent protest by turning their backs as the coffin goes by.
“Like anyone else she deserves a decent funeral, but not at the expense of the taxpayer,” said protester Patricia Welsh, 69.
A coffin bearing the former leader’s body will travel by hearse from the Houses of Parliament to the church of St. Clement Danes, before being borne on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses to the cathedral, where 2,300 invited guests await.
More than 700 soldiers, sailors and air force personnel will line the route and around 4,000 police officers will be on duty as part of a major security operation, stepped up after Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and wounded more than 170.
Parliament’s Big Ben bell will be silenced for the funeral service, which will include hymns and passages from the Bible read by Prime Minister David Cameron and the late premier’s granddaughter, Amanda Thatcher.
The woman
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/ESMqI0vQT-I/
KAREN BUTLER || United Press International Britain’s royal family kept the tongues of gossips wagging on both sides of the pond this year, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II’s lavish Diamond Jubilee celebration, Prince Harry‘s nude photo scandal, Prince Philip‘s health woes and Duchess Kate‘s pregnancy.