A new book has thrown one of Britain’s most mythologised political marriages into the spotlight, alleging that Margaret Thatcher — the first female prime minister and conservative icon — had two extramarital affairs during her career.
Driving the news
In The Incidental Feminist, journalist Tina Gaudoin claims that Thatcher was involved in two affairs: one early in her career as a Conservative MP and another later with Sir Humphrey Atkins, a senior party colleague and chief whip under Edward Heath. Gaudoin says multiple sources, including former Tory minister Jonathan Aitken, confirmed “knowledgeable rumours” of the relationships.The book also details an “extracurricular friendship” between Thatcher and Lord Tim Bell, her long-time PR adviser, as well as a close friendship her husband Denis later developed with Mandy Rice-Davies — a key figure in the 1963 Profumo scandal.
Why it matters
For decades, Thatcher’s marriage to Denis was presented as one of rock-solid partnership and mutual devotion — a stabilising force behind her meteoric political rise. She famously described him as “the golden thread running through my life.”If Gaudoin’s claims are true, they would complicate one of the most carefully curated political images of the 20th century and shed new light on the private life of a leader whose public persona was defined by discipline and conviction.
The big picture
The alleged affairs:
- Early career: Gaudoin says Thatcher had an affair “very early” in her time as an MP, though no names are given.
- With Humphrey Atkins: Rumours of a later affair with Atkins, who served as chief whip and Northern Ireland secretary, circulated in Westminster. Aitken said his “good looks might have appealed to her, but his political brain was hopeless.”
The Bell connection: PR chief Lord Tim Bell reportedly had a flirtatious relationship with Thatcher, with anecdotes of knee-touching at dinners. Gaudoin notes there is no evidence this went beyond physical familiarity.Denis’s friendship with Rice-Davies: After Thatcher left Downing Street, Denis struck up an affectionate friendship with Rice-Davies, exchanging letters and even holidaying together.Reactions: Charles Moore, Thatcher’s authorised biographer, dismissed the allegations as “vanishingly unlikely” and said he had seen no evidence. Nevertheless, the claims reignite long-standing rumours about the Iron Lady’s private life.Legacy and perception: Gaudoin argues that Thatcher, despite rejecting the feminist label, helped “normalise female power.” Even her detractors, she says, often disliked her simply because of who she was, not what she achieved.Bottom line: Whether these alleged affairs were real or merely Westminster gossip, they challenge the myth of Margaret Thatcher as the steely, sexless “Iron Lady” and suggest a more complex, human figure — one whose charisma, power, and personal life were far more intertwined than the public ever knew. Go to Source