UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condoled the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saying the 'Iron Lady' will be remembered for her pioneering role as a committed global leader and for her contribution to peace and security. Thatcher suffered a stroke on Monday and died at the age of 87. Her funeral would be at St Paul's Cathedral in London, with full military honours, followed by a private cremation.

The Secretary General is "saddened" to learn of the passing of Thatcher and recognises her "pioneering stature" as the first female Prime Minister of her country, a statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson said. Addressing reporters at The Hague, Ban said, "We will miss her great leadership. She was a pioneering leader for her contribution to peace and security, particularly at the height of the Cold War".

"She was also a great model as the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who not only demonstrated her leadership but has given such great hope for many women for equality, gender equality in Parliament," Ban added. Thatcher would be remembered as a towering figure and as a strong and committed leader in British political life as well as on the international stage, he said.Paying tribute to her contribution to addressing climate change, Ban said, Thatcher was one of the first world leaders to issue a warning about the effects of climate change by calling for action at the UN General Assembly in 1989. In November 1989, Thatcher addressed the UN General Assembly for the last time in her official capacity as prime minister. She focused her speech on the global environment and the need to preserve air, water and land.

Ex-British PM Margaret Thatcher's funeral to take place on April 17

Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's funeral will take place in London on Wednesday, April 17, David Cameron's office said on Tuesday.
The service will be held in St Paul's Cathedral, Downing Street said. Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, will attend the service.
Margaret who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87.
Britain's only woman prime minister, the unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led the Conservatives to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British premier since the early 19th century.

A grocer's daughter with a steely resolve, she was loved and loathed in equal measure as she crushed the unions, privatised vast swathes of British industry, clashed with the European Union and fought a war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invaders. She struck up a close relationship with US President Ronald Reagan in the Cold War, backed the first President George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and declared that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was a man she could do business with.