FORMER PRIME MINISTER FOR BRITAIN, MARGARET THATCHER, RETURNED TO DOWNING STREET RECENTLY TO UNVEIL HER OWN OFFICIAL PORTRAIT, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER. THATCHER, PRIME MINISTER FROM 1979 TO 1990, JOINED CURRENT PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN AND DAVID CAMERON, A SUCCESSOR TO THACHER AS CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER, AT NO. 10 DOWNING STREET FOR THE UNVEILING. THE 84 YEAR OLD FORMER WORLD LEADER, NICKNAMED 'THE IRON LADY' FOR HER UNCOMPROMISING STANCE AGAINST THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, WAS GREETED BY BROWN AND A CLUTCH OF FORMER ADVISERS AS SHE ARRIVED AT HER FORMER HOME. A BROWN SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE PAINTING BY RICHARD STONE, WHO ALSO PRODUCED A PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II, IS ON DISPLAY IN THE FIRST FLOOR LOBBY. IT WAS PAID FOR BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR. 'THE PRIME MINISTER MADE A SHORT SPEECH IN WHICH HE THANKED BARONESS THATCHER FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS SHE MADE TO THE COUNTRY OVER MANY YEARS', THE SPOKESMAN SAID. THATCHER IS THE FIRST LIVING LAWMAKER IN THE MODERN ERA TO BE HONORED WITH A PAINTING AT DOWNING STREET. PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALL MODERN PRIME MINISTERS LINE THE RESIDENCE'S MAIN STAIRCASE, BUT ONLY TWO FORMER LEADERS HAVE PAINTED PORTRAITS ON DISPLAY: WINSTON CHURCHILL AND DAVID LLOYD GEORGE.
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