The Thatcher baronetcy, of Scotney in the

County of Kent Kent is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Greater London to the north-west. ...

, is a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

cy created for the husband of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

Denis Thatcher Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; thus, he became the first male prime min ...

, on 7 December 1990, following the resignation as Prime Minister of his wife on 28 November. The current holder is

Mark Thatcher Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (born 15 August 1953) is an English businessman. He is the son of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, and Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet; his sister is Carol Thatcher. His ...

, who succeeded his father in 2003. It is the only

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

to have been granted since 1964, and is one of only three extant hereditary titles awarded outside the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

since 1965.

History

The baronetcy was created by the Queen on the recommendation of Prime Minister

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...

for

, following the resignation of his wife

in November 1990. The

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

was pressed to allow a debate relating to the revival of

hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are nobility titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often d ...

s, but referred MPs to '' Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice'' and in particular to the guidance that "It has been ruled that the Prime Minister cannot be interrogated as to the advice that he may have given to the sovereign with regard to the grant of honours". Major told the Commons Public Administration Committee in May 2004 that he had been

lobbied Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

by "influential figures" in the Conservative Party to make the recommendation, against his personal preference. Margaret Thatcher was granted the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

at the same time, and was made a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

after she stood down as an MP in 1992. Later in 1992, Sir Denis Thatcher petitioned for and obtained a

grant of arms A grant of arms or a governmental issuance of arms is an instrument issued by a lawful authority, such as an officer of arms or State Herald, which confers on a person and his or her descendants the right to bear a particular coat of arms or a ...

from the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

for himself and his successors in the baronetcy; at the same time, Baroness Thatcher also received a grant of arms.

succeeded to the baronetcy in 2003. Following his conviction for his part in the

2004 Equatorial Guinea coup attempt The 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt, also known as the Wonga Coup, failed to replace President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo with exiled opposition politician Severo Moto Nsá. Mercenaries organised by mainly British financiers were ...

there were calls from some MPs for him to be stripped of the title, but Thatcher ultimately retained it.

Thatcher baronets, of Scotney (1990)

* Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet MBE TD

CStJ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

(1915–2003) * The Honorable Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (born 1953)

Line of succession

'' Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet (1915–2003)'' ** Insigne de baronnet

'' The Honourable Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (b. 1953)'' ***(1) ''Michael Thatcher (b. 3 March 1989)'' ****(2) ''Emery Monroe Thatcher (b. 2019)''

Coats of arms

File:Coat of Arms of Denis Thatcher.svg, Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt & Sir Mark Thatcher, Bt's Coat of Arms File:Thatcher Baronets Arms with Cadencey.png, Arms of Sir Mark Thatcher, Bt's

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

Michael Thatcher File:Thatcher Baronets Arms with 5 Cadencey labels.png, Arms of Sir Mark Thatcher, Bt's heir apparent Michael Thatcher's heir apparent Emery Monroe Thatcher File:Arms of Margaret Thatcher, The Baroness Thatcher (Variant).svg, The Arms (Escutcheon variant) of the first baronet's Wife and the second baronet's Mother, Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, This allows the second Baronet and all of his successors to quarter their arms with the Baronet's coat of arms and the Baroness Thatcher's coat of arms.

References

External links

* {{s-end Baronetcies in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom