There has been a huge volume of media coverage of the death of Baroness Thatcher. A short interview with Andrew Riley, our Archivist of Lady Thatcher’s personal and political papers, was featured in a programme broadcast yesterday by Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, “Maggie and me”.
The interview focuses on the discovery by Andrew of a small card in the Thatcher papers which Margaret Thatcher took with her to No 10 Downing Street on winning the 1979 General Election. The card summarises the key elements of the prayer of St Francis of Assisi which she read to the watching crowds and to the world’s media, reciting “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”
Andrew looked for the card in the Thatcher papers after seeing it mentioned in Snow’s memoir, “Shooting history”. Snow had stood behind Mrs Thatcher when she read the Prayer outside No 10. Luckily, Jon is 6 foot 5 tall and was able to see over her shoulder to help identify the card.
Tags: Margaret Thatcher