"Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher Dead at 87

Former U.K. prime minister was famously portrayed by Meryl Streep in 2011 film

By Rebecca Macatee Apr 08, 2013 12:41 PMTags
British Prime Minister, Margaret ThatcherDan Kitwood/Getty Images

Margaret Thatcher died Monday morning at the age of 87.

The former U.K. prime minister passed away peacefully after suffering a stroke, per the BBC.

Thatcher, who held the office of prime minister from 1979 to 1990, was nicknamed the "Iron Lady" because of her unwavering stances on politics.

In 2011, Meryl Streep portrayed Thatcher in The Iron Lady, winning an Academy Award for her performance.

In a 2012 interview with the BBC, Streep said that while Thatcher's conservative politics didn't line up with her own views, she was "secretly thrilled [when she was elected in 1979] that there was a female head of Britain."

Thatcher remains the only woman to have served as U.K.'s prime minister.