Married to Maggie - Denis Thatcher's Story [DVD] [2003]

In the interview Denis finally pronounces on the people, places and politics of the Thatcher years. The film also contains an interview with Margaret Thatcher, who despite an announcement from her office that she would not speak again in public, was keen to talk about what Denis had meant to her and the part their marriage played in her premiership. Other interviewees include her former press secretary Bernard Ingham, her private secretary Cynthia Crawford, Denis's best friend Bill Deedes, former editor of the Daily Telegraph and Lord Carrington.

Denis never protested much at his image as a gin-swilling, golf-playing buffoon. He could hardly deny it. As Margaret Thatcher's press secretary Bernard Ingham recalls he had many terms for his favourite tipple. "An opener, a brightener, a lifter, a tincture, a large gin and tonic, without the tonic, a snifter, a snort, a snorter. And a snorterino, which more or less empties the bottle in one go." As for the golf, Mrs Thatcher's private secretary Cynthia Crawford says the first thing that came out the back of Denis's car when he
arrived at 10 Downing Street in 1979 were his golf clubs. They took pride of place in the front hallway for the duration of her leadership.

But Denis learned quickly once in Number 10. One of his greatest strengths as a consort was he always kept stum, which given his views on certain subjects, certainly helped avoid a number of diplomatic incidents. Denis' silence left a hole all-too-readily filled by satire and supposition. In particular Private Eye published a long series of fictional letters between Denis and his golfing pal "Bill", based on Denis's best friend Bill Deedes. Former editor of Private Eye , Richard Ingrams admits "Our Denis was a bit more a buffoon than the real Denis."

Denis always demonstrated immense support and encouragement to his wife, particularly at testing times such as general elections or the Falklands War. Of that conflict Bernard Ingham recalls "you can imagine Denis had a pretty fair idea of what was going on and would be able to read the game a bit, and
would be able to offer reassurance."

However political correctness was not one of Denis's attributes. Diplomatically silent for so many years in this final interview he has plenty to say on everyone from Nancy Reagan to Raisa Gorbachov, from the IRA to the post
Thatcher Tory Party, and of course...Maggie.

This film is a unique study of an unusual and difficult job. Denis Thatcher's friend Bill Deedes believes nobody has done it better. "He really was created for the role of supporting a Prime Minister through the stormy seas of modern politics," he says.