Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady Who Changed Britain Forever | Margaret Thatcher wasn’t just the UK’s first female Prime Minister—she was a force of nature who reshaped the political, economic, and cultural landscape of Britain. Rising from a modest background as a grocer’s daughter, she climbed to the top through sheer grit, intelligence, and conviction. Leading the country from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher inherited an economy in crisis and a country losing confidence. Her answer? Bold reform. She i