Allies of Britain’s greatest peacetime prime minister expressed disappointment last night that she will not be given a full state funeral. Baroness Thatcher, the first and only woman voted into Number Ten, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 87 after the latest in a series of strokes. Friends and foes alike described her as the most dominant political figure to emerge in Britain since Sir Winston Churchill – the last commoner to be honoured with a state funeral in 1965. The Iron Lady in waiting: Margaret Thatcher posing in a glamorous grey chiffon dress, London 1974. The attache case for Secretary of State for Education and Science is on the right of the picture . She will next week be given a ‘ceremonial’ funeral with military honours – an equivalent to the ceremonies that marked the passing of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. Some Conservative MPs said they believed the former prime minister merited the highest honour, though friends said she did not want a state funeral and had disliked the idea of her body lying in state in Westminster Hall. Election elation: Mrs Thatcher waves from the steps of No 10 Downing Street with husband Denis after becoming Britain's first female Prime Minister in 1979 . Elegant: Baroness Thatcher is pictured in 1988 (left) and 1986 (right), during her time as British prime minister . Peter Bone, the MP for . Wellingborough, said: ‘I think she should have the highest kind of . funeral that can be allowed. I would have thought a state funeral would . be very appropriate. 'She was the first female prime minister. She was also the greatest peacetime prime minister we ever had.’ Charlie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, . said: ‘Personally I feel Mrs T should have the full state funeral like . Churchill and Wellington. She was as amazing a Briton as they were.’ But . he later added: ‘I agree her wishes must be respected.’ MAILONLINE AND DAILY MAIL CAMPAIGN: HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD . If . you believe Lady Thatcher deserves a state funeral, and want the . Government to know, just sign this online petition or print out the form . below and send it to us. We will pass it to the Prime Minister's office . at 10 Downing Street . Alun Cairns, who represents the Vale . of Glamorgan, concurred with that sentiment but said: ‘Margaret Thatcher . deserves a state funeral after transforming our nation in such a . positive way. The changes were never reversed.’ David . Cameron hailed Lady Thatcher yesterday as ‘the patriot prime minister’, . the Queen expressed her sadness and President Obama said she had shown . ‘our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered’. Mr . Cameron, who broke off a visit to Europe to return to London, announced . that in an extraordinary move, Parliament is to be recalled from its . Easter break tomorrow to mark her passing. Lady Thatcher died at the Ritz hotel in London, where she had been recuperating after a minor operation. Hotel: Margaret Thatcher had been staying at the Ritz in central London until she died this morning, and police were there today . Her children, Sir Mark and Carol, were not at her bedside as they were abroad. Her doctor and carer were present when she died. Lord . (Charles) Powell, Lady Thatcher’s closest and longest-serving policy . aide, said: ‘I was with her last night. I spent an hour or so with her, . and I am very pleased that I did. I regard it as very private. ‘She . changed us all. We went from being a people who saw ourselves as . eternall y on the downward slide to a nation  proud to be British again. On the world stage too, she made Britain count once more.’ Baroness Thatcher’s body was moved from the Ritz late last night amid a highly visible police presence. Her death at the hotel, where she had been staying since undergoing minor surgery last December, led to a major police security operation. Under top-level plans to preserve the dignity of national figures, uniformed officers sealed off the hotel in Piccadilly. Staff closed the car park to prepare for the arrival of the coroner’s vehicle and black hoarding was placed over gates leading into the building. A helicopter hovered overhead, surveying a route for the car to take. Conservative MP Conor Burns, who . visited Lady Thatcher weekly, said: ‘I can’t help thinking about what . she said about her friend President Reagan, who suffered very badly in . his final years with Alzheimer’s. 'Although she didn’t have Alzheimer’s, her memory and mind was not by any means as sharp as it was. ‘She . said of Reagan in her eulogy for him, “I think today that President . Reagan is fully himself again”. I like to think tonight, Margaret . Thatcher is herself again.’ Mr Burns said he had discussed plans for . her funeral with her several times over recent years and ‘she was . completely and totally uninterested’. Outpouring of grief: Floral tributes are collected and taken inside the home of the late Margaret Thatcher in Chester Square, London following an announcement of her death at the age of 87 . ‘Her comment always about lying in . state was “I’m not Winston”. I think her legacy will stand as that of a . political colossus if she was buried in a cardboard box.’ Lady . Thatcher’s friend and spokesman Lord Bell insisted she had not wanted a . state funeral. The cost of next week’s service, most probably on . Wednesday, will be shared between the state and her estate. Lord . Bell said: ‘The funeral that has been arranged for her is the one that . she asked for. It has been discussed for many years. 'Of course I spent a lot of time with her personally and she absolutely made it clear to me that she thought it would be wholly inappropriate for her body to lie in state. ‘She did not like the idea and she had no doubt there would be some terrible demonstration. She was determined that should not happen and specifically made that request of Downing Street. 'And she didn’t want a fly-past as she thought that was a waste of money – somewhat in character you might think. ‘I would much rather she had a state funeral but if the woman herself said that she didn’t want to have one and we have to understand that.’
Baroness Thatcher died peacefully at the age of 87 after a stroke .
She will be given a 'ceremonial' funeral with military honours next week .
Conservative MPs called for former prime minister to be given state funeral .
Allies of Britain’s greatest peacetime prime minister expressed disappointment last night that she will not be given a full state funeral. Baroness Thatcher, the first and only woman voted into Number Ten, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 87 after the latest in a series of strokes. Friends and foes alike described her as the most dominant political figure to emerge in Britain since Sir Winston Churchill – the last commoner to be honoured with a state funeral in 1965. The Iron Lady in waiting: Margaret Thatcher posing in a glamorous grey chiffon dress, London 1974. The attache case for Secretary of State for Education and Science is on the right of the picture . She will next week be given a ‘ceremonial’ funeral with military honours – an equivalent to the ceremonies that marked the passing of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. Some Conservative MPs said they believed the former prime minister merited the highest honour, though friends said she did not want a state funeral and had disliked the idea of her body lying in state in Westminster Hall. Election elation: Mrs Thatcher waves from the steps of No 10 Downing Street with husband Denis after becoming Britain's first female Prime Minister in 1979 . Elegant: Baroness Thatcher is pictured in 1988 (left) and 1986 (right), during her time as British prime minister . Peter Bone, the MP for . Wellingborough, said: ‘I think she should have the highest kind of . funeral that can be allowed. I would have thought a state funeral would . be very appropriate. 'She was the first female prime minister. She was also the greatest peacetime prime minister we ever had.’ Charlie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, . said: ‘Personally I feel Mrs T should have the full state funeral like . Churchill and Wellington. She was as amazing a Briton as they were.’ But . he later added: ‘I agree her wishes must be respected.’ MAILONLINE AND DAILY MAIL CAMPAIGN: HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD . If . you believe Lady Thatcher deserves a state funeral, and want the . Government to know, just sign this online petition or print out the form . below and send it to us. We will pass it to the Prime Minister's office . at 10 Downing Street . Alun Cairns, who represents the Vale . of Glamorgan, concurred with that sentiment but said: ‘Margaret Thatcher . deserves a state funeral after transforming our nation in such a . positive way. The changes were never reversed.’ David . Cameron hailed Lady Thatcher yesterday as ‘the patriot prime minister’, . the Queen expressed her sadness and President Obama said she had shown . ‘our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered’. Mr . Cameron, who broke off a visit to Europe to return to London, announced . that in an extraordinary move, Parliament is to be recalled from its . Easter break tomorrow to mark her passing. Lady Thatcher died at the Ritz hotel in London, where she had been recuperating after a minor operation. Hotel: Margaret Thatcher had been staying at the Ritz in central London until she died this morning, and police were there today . Her children, Sir Mark and Carol, were not at her bedside as they were abroad. Her doctor and carer were present when she died. Lord . (Charles) Powell, Lady Thatcher’s closest and longest-serving policy . aide, said: ‘I was with her last night. I spent an hour or so with her, . and I am very pleased that I did. I regard it as very private. ‘She . changed us all. We went from being a people who saw ourselves as . eternall y on the downward slide to a nation  proud to be British again. On the world stage too, she made Britain count once more.’ Baroness Thatcher’s body was moved from the Ritz late last night amid a highly visible police presence. Her death at the hotel, where she had been staying since undergoing minor surgery last December, led to a major police security operation. Under top-level plans to preserve the dignity of national figures, uniformed officers sealed off the hotel in Piccadilly. Staff closed the car park to prepare for the arrival of the coroner’s vehicle and black hoarding was placed over gates leading into the building. A helicopter hovered overhead, surveying a route for the car to take. Conservative MP Conor Burns, who . visited Lady Thatcher weekly, said: ‘I can’t help thinking about what . she said about her friend President Reagan, who suffered very badly in . his final years with Alzheimer’s. 'Although she didn’t have Alzheimer’s, her memory and mind was not by any means as sharp as it was. ‘She . said of Reagan in her eulogy for him, “I think today that President . Reagan is fully himself again”. I like to think tonight, Margaret . Thatcher is herself again.’ Mr Burns said he had discussed plans for . her funeral with her several times over recent years and ‘she was . completely and totally uninterested’. Outpouring of grief: Floral tributes are collected and taken inside the home of the late Margaret Thatcher in Chester Square, London following an announcement of her death at the age of 87 . ‘Her comment always about lying in . state was “I’m not Winston”. I think her legacy will stand as that of a . political colossus if she was buried in a cardboard box.’ Lady . Thatcher’s friend and spokesman Lord Bell insisted she had not wanted a . state funeral. The cost of next week’s service, most probably on . Wednesday, will be shared between the state and her estate. Lord . Bell said: ‘The funeral that has been arranged for her is the one that . she asked for. It has been discussed for many years. 'Of course I spent a lot of time with her personally and she absolutely made it clear to me that she thought it would be wholly inappropriate for her body to lie in state. ‘She did not like the idea and she had no doubt there would be some terrible demonstration. She was determined that should not happen and specifically made that request of Downing Street. 'And she didn’t want a fly-past as she thought that was a waste of money – somewhat in character you might think. ‘I would much rather she had a state funeral but if the woman herself said that she didn’t want to have one and we have to understand that.’
into Number Ten, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 87 after the latest in a series of commoner to be honoured with a state funeral in picture . She will next week be given a ‘ceremonial’ funeral with military honours – an former prime minister merited the highest honour,