The flat in Chelsea where the former prime minister lived while newly married has gone onto the market.
The two-bedroom flat in Swan Court is on the market for £1.235 million – a snip for the area, due to the lease having only 24 years left to run.
Margaret Thatcher had decided to leave politics when moving to the 1,174 sq ft flat with her new husband Denis in 1951– a man she met while unsuccessfully contesting a parliamentary seat in Dartford in 1950 and then again in 1951.
Following her marriage she was initially determined not move into public life after all, instead devoting herself to her family and a budding career as a barrister.
But while living in Swan Court, she had a change of heart. Having refused a chance to run for parliament in 1955, she subsequently changed her mind as her twins Mark and Carole – who were born in 1953 – grew older.
Agents Strutt & Parker have obtained all manner of correspondence from those years, including notes relating to her interview for Conservative Party candidate selection and a hand-written note from Thatcher herself discussing her desire to stand.
The flat itself benefits from a generous amount of space, beautiful views across London and 24hr porterage.
It is in need of refurbishment – but that itself offers an opportunity since it could be converted into a three-bedroom home with relative ease.
Swan Court sits in between Flood Street and Chelsea Manor Street and is roughly equidistant from Sloane Square and South Kensington underground stations.
With Battersea Park just across the Albert Bridge – with its 200 acres of open spaces, lake and sporting facilities – it’s a fine location for a young family – regardless of whether you’re running for office or not.
Thatcher eventually ran again in 1959 as Tory candidate for Finchley, becoming a front bencher just two years later as she began her rise to the top of the political pole.
By that time she had left Chelsea – she and Denis moved out in 1957 – and after her years in government eventually ended up living in a £30 million house in Belgravia, which itself went on the market last year.
