It is a sad fact of our mortality that as we age, most of us appear increasingly less attractive and decidedly un-photogenic to the cultus of youth. Margaret Thatcher must be among the most photographed women on the planet, and there are thousands upon thousands of visual representations of her on the path to power, at the height of her glory, on the day of her fall, and from a myriad of occasions in between.
Now, the Great Lady often appears frail and vulnerable; a shadow of her former self.
But this picture, taken today as she left hospital after fighting off a serious infection, is really rather movingly beautiful. It has strength and pathos; it has a freshness with a certain familiarity; conviction with vulnerability; truth with grace; iron with a touch of velvet.
God bless you, Baroness Thatcher.
Your party and your country need you.
