A planned bronze statue of Lady Thatcher would portray the former prime minister sternly gazing “slightly rightwards” over the Houses of Parliament that she dominated for more than a decade, the Standard can reveal.
The proposed memorial to Britain’s longest-serving post-war premier — which was bitterly opposed by her daughter Carol because it did not feature a trademark handbag — has the Iron Lady standing resolutely in her Order of the Garter regalia.
The row is set to be reignited after a planning application for the statue, which would be placed on a stone plinth at the back of Parliament Square, was lodged with Westminster council.
The £300,000 work was originally commissioned by the Public Memorials Appeal, which has the Duke of Wellington as its patron, shortly after Lady Thatcher’s death in 2013. But Carol Thatcher sent a scathing letter to the charity about the absence of a handbag last year.
Tom Crum, director of architects Fine Architecture, which has submitted the application, defended the work saying that the Parliament Square statue of Winston Churchill “does not have his cigar and only one of the existing statues of Lady Thatcher has a handbag”.
It was made by the award-winning Finchley-based sculptor Douglas Jennings, whose other subjects have included President Barack Obama and Fulham footballer Johnny Haynes.
According to the planning documents “the new statue was chosen to portray Margaret Thatcher in her state robes — in her most dignified attire.
"She has a resolute posture looking towards the Houses of Parliament with a stern gaze slight rightward akin to her political leanings. The artwork portrays her with gravitas in a manner showing an excellent and true likeness”.
Accessory that defined a leader
Along with her Tory blue suit and infallible blow-dry, Margaret Thatcher was rarely seen without her signature Launer handbag.
Her relationship with the UK brand — favoured by the Queen and conservative dressers across the capital — began after she was given a bag as a present by chief executive Gerald Bodmer, accompanied by a cartoon about the Falklands War showing her hitting Argentina with a handbag.
With its classic structure, reassuringly expensive four-figure price tag and sturdy top handle, the accessory quickly became a symbol of her premiership and she reportedly purchased an average of two a year.
After her death in 2013 sales of her beloved Bellini and Adagio styles soared 53 per cent. Launer launched the Maggie handbag that year, with black patent finish, priced at £2,050.
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The 10ft-work would stand on Canning Green, between statues of 19th century statesman George Canning and US president Abraham Lincoln. A spokeswoman said the Royal Parks, which manages the green, was aware of the application but had not yet put the proposal to its board.
Carol and Mark Thatcher did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesman for residents’ group, The Thorney Island Society, said: “The understated and reverential character of the statue is a bit disappointing given that the Churchill statue is so much more interesting.”