Growing up in Downing Street as Margaret Thatcher's daughter

“Carol, we’re going off to demonstrate against your mum, can you just remind us where her office is?”
Margaret Thatcher's daughter Carol talks to Matt Chorley about the highs and lows of growing up with mum in No. 10.
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[@paulnelson351]

What a credit Carol is to her parents, engaging, straightforward, and utterly honest. She plays no games and says it as it is! My greatest respect!

[@josephinemurphy6443]

Just like her other!

[@josephinemurphy6443]

mother😂

[@xelakram]

Great interview. Carol is quite a character. She is also a very likeable personaiity. 👍🏻

[@jane_7193]

Exceptionally interesting and lovely lady. I would like to be friends with her.

[@xelakram]

@@jane_7193 She'd be great fun to have as a friend, I feel sure. 👍🏻

[@alfching2499]

@@jane_7193no no no not a thatcher

[@peterjmcc1953]

I like her. She is straightforward and uncomplicated.

[@markwatkins8309]

Yes, me too.

[@thesyclemonte6571]

Yes. She’s simple

[@alfsmith4936]

Yes.. This is what life can be like when you have never had to do a day's work in your life. Brilliant, isn't she?

[@supertuscans9512]

You’ve probably had to work like a dog in yours and always will do and still achieve nothing. It’s called Darwinism. Some people were just born to remain in the dung heap. If you procreate your offspring will curse your genes. Use a condo!

[@crystalwaters8852]

​@@alfsmith4936😂😂👍😁

[@PaulJameson100]

Carol Thatcher is hugely engaging, honest and charismatic, what an amazing interview!

[@westminsterwatcher5152]

Carol Thatcher is an absolute delight! Great interview!!!

[@flowermeerkat6827]

Carol is a breath of fresh air, the child of a famous parent who doesn’t bad mouth her parent. Carol also seems like a charming person to talk to whoever was her parent.

[@henryh3800]

As an Australian who was partly educated in the UK (Cambridge) I started watching this thinking I would click onto something else after a few minutes; but I was hooked and greatly entertained through to the end.

[@Julia-om5cl]

Very interesting Thatcher was formidable and probably scary to live with

[@marysteven6347]

A lot of us older women had formidable mothers.

[@Englishroserebecca]

@@marysteven6347that’s why stayed on the straight and narrow. We had no nonsense mothers who worked hard and put a brave face on every day. Just got on with it.

[@MatthewVowles-sl3qz]

😮😮😮😮

[@estebancorral5151]

As a non-Australian and non-Briton you a triggered a very dreadful memory. John Fisher, a past chancellor of the Unerversity of Cambridge was executed by Henry VIII, having a previous poisoning attempt fail.

[@margaretblack8538]

Wow, after all these years it was great to see and hear Carol Thatcher. Great interview, and the interviewers sense of humour gelled well with Carol's. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it flew in. 😊👍

[@guitardee1]

What a delightful person. She sounds as though she would be great company

[@tedheath9018]

This lady is incredible, very intelligent and funny.

[@deborahcurtis1385]

I find her quite ordinary, she just repeats what's been said to her by her father and advisors. She doesn't go out of her way to empathise. Thatcher's legacy = blood on her hands but Carol has zero curiosity about people might think that. It's the Conservative strategy to just simply block out what you don't want to hear.

[@E-Kat]

@@deborahcurtis1385you're correct! Selective memory is their strategy! Ruthless , power hungry family, who'd go over the dead bodies to get ahead in life. This interview did not touch a single important subject! I suppose, she's not allow any questions that matter. No guilt whatsoever!!! Others supposed to feel sorry for their ancestors keeping slaves but it's ok for Carol Thatcher to ignore the carnage her mother had caused!! People with CJD still suffer the consequences of her mother's actions! But this subject is banned from TV! We are learning from the NK how to manage our country by censorship!

[@supertuscans9512]

Thatcher was magnificent. Quite possibly the greatest PM the UJ has ever had.

[@ChristineRead-ck1uq]

@@E-Kat Why should Carol Thatcher have to answer for anything her mother may have done? She wasn't personally responsible for any of it and I very much doubt she had any say in it of any kind. You are the sort who would tell me I am responsible for what a very small number of British people did 400 years ago, aren't you?

[@manufacturedconsent7850]

Quite good looking back in the day too !!

[@miriamariel6185]

Carol comes across as a thoughly nice person. My heart goes out to her.

[@stringer-ik1pc]

Why,???the Thatchers were and are a very wealthy family .

[@Jane-x4n]

What's wealth got to do with anything ...

[@elizabethsheffield6609]

......yeah we ALL realise the folly of our youth when we age!

[@supertuscans9512]

Maggie’s dad was a grocer with a small shop in Grantham. Her husband however was avery sharp cookie and did make a pile of dough.

[@stringer-ik1pc]

@@Jane-x4n why does her heart need to go out to her ???

[@Jacdon]

Down to earth, funny, intelligent and.....speaks a lot of common sense.

[@lizrothwell1210]

Such a wonderful interview, Carol was so endearing to listen to,humble & honest .

[@karenlumley1436]

What a fabulous interview, Carol comes over so well...grounded, and great sence of humor ...credit to her parents. 😊

[@davidlondon2810]

Carol Thatcher is a lovely, engaging, intelligent, down to earth person. Of course she had a hard time being Margaret Thatcher’s daughter but she didn’t let it get the better of her and has made the best of her life.

[@januariyarosaliya3286]

В каком смысле приземленный? В смысле примитивный? Или в смысле простой?

[@gee4947]

I see down to earth as being honest, straightforward and accepting of reality rather than being someone that tries to pretend they're something they're not. In carol thatchers case, i think calling her down to earth is a fair description.​@@januariyarosaliya3286

[@havingalook2]

That was absolutely fascinating. I could have gone on for another hour listening to her and her unique life. I very much enjoyed this, many thanks indeed for the interview. She is one of those whom you would love to be sat beside at a lunch. Well done. My takeaway line is the one she quoted of her father: whales don't get killed until they spout. So lovely to hear from her.

[@Coconut22735]

Such a down to earth, honest and intelligent lady. Epic interview!

[@terencefield3204]

What a thoroughly nice woman Carol Thatcher seems to be.

[@norwegianzound]

She must be so ashamed at heart to have had such an awful, nasty mother.

[@EveHenleySpread]

@@norwegianzound give it a rest

[@normanchristie4524]

Why then was she banned from the BBC?

[@terencefield3204]

Well the BBC is in my view and the view of enormous numbers of disappointed people left wing propaganda outfit that is so drenching in its thought management that had Goebbels lived he would have been dumbstruck by the breadth and depth of the social control offering.@@normanchristie4524

[@terencefield3204]

You scrag end. Her mother was the best PM since Disraeli. Wash your foul mind out.@@norwegianzound

[@MillyToast]

Always enjoy listening to this lady. I was never a Margaret Thatcher fan but Carol is lovely.

[@franklinstephen3268]

Hello how are you doing?

[@carmeldelaney1086]

She Is proud of her Mum!

[@Bubbles-od2tv]

She reminds me of her mother! The strong accent, the conviction of her manner. She ought to be on TV

[@seansmith445]

She was on TV but was cancelled.

[@JaneArt64]

She has been on I'm a Celebrity and she was brilliant on it.

[@dra2033]

I was not expecting her to be so down to earth.

[@rhonda4333]

I loved this interview. She was a breath of fresh air.

[@tsjechovtolstoj496]

She looks remarkably like her father, particularly the way she talks, it's almost uncanny.

[@kellyprice1024]

Is she a she? Just asking.

[@leenieledejo6849]

​@@kellyprice1024It's a Qanon obsession apparently to question almost every woman's gender. It's horribly misogynistic and all began with Michelle Obama cos she happens to have broad shoulders. What a crime!! 🙄

[@Peter-ov6xh]

She really is!

[@GetStrumming]

I thought the same! She certainly takes after Denis in looks and speech.

[@Abigail-bb3tr]

Great interview with a very funny and engaging Carol Thatcher. More of this ....

[@readithere2032]

carol needs her own talk show. she really knows how to capture an audience

[@stephemmurphy2554]

Always a pleasure to listen to Carol.

[@gillcawthorn7572]

I saw Mrs. Thatcher attending an outside event in cold weather ,where she was shocked to see little children standing waiting for it to begin. She encouraged then to jump about to keep warm ,showing by by example .Even thought it made her look foolish ,a grown woman in professional clothing complete with her favourite handbag ,she didn`t care , Her thoughts were with the childrens` wellbeing .

[@sjwhittingham4394]

I dont know if this was the event you are referring to or a different one but I clearly remember reading about on one of her state visits abroad Mrs Thatcher was horrified to see small children dressed on a freezing day in skimpy costumes about to perform some kind of dance to greet her. Apparently she said via her translator "You either get these children some warm clothes immediately or I am leaving now!"

[@gillcawthorn7572]

@@sjwhittingham4394 The one I saw was in London .But if you also remember a similar occasion it shows her admirable concern

[@faydove]

Pity she stole their milk.

[@nonaknight9491]

@@faydoveYes she introduced Rickets back to the UK for the first time since WW2. She took away the FREE school milk. with that kind gesture👀 true.

[@faydove]

And much more distruction for workers. The list is a long one and the pain is felt to this day.

[@carmellewis2466]

Would love to see Carol and Princess Anne in conversation together talking about their mums.

[@tassie2348]

What a fabulous idea!

[@patriciaarroni2142]

That would be a pretty short interview, probably only a couple of minutes. Both too discrete for a long conversation.

[@nikyn.2136]

….and Nigella Lawson, the daughter of the Exchequer during MT time

margaret thatcher was more royal than elizabeth2. more aristocratic. more glamourous.

[@peterhobday]

Love the way Carol explains everything to the lucky journalist. Who actually hasn't really got very interesting questions. Matt should have asked for more suggestions. Instead of relying on old media stories.

[@matthewstokes1608]

What those slimy excuses for men did to MT was absolutely grotesque… Hesseltine was a deeply unsavoury character - it was wonderful to watch him and all the other toads so unsuccessful thereafter. They will all be remembered as prime examples of cowardly traitors and this will be their earned place in history. I think Maggie will be remembered increasingly well in the annals of British History.

[@christobelthipe8627]

Where she says 'I was my father's biographer', it tells how she feels about the film regarding her mother.

[@MC-rw3lc]

Super interview. Thank you. What a character!

[@shuddupeyaface]

I remember how they cancelled this lady on the "one show" for saying something innocently and without any malice whatsoever. The absolute self-righteous b'stards. I've always liked Her x

[@AndyRossism]

She was racist towards a guest , as I recall, used some old fashioned language, maybe didn't mean to offend, but some words and terms belong in the past and aren't acceptable and as a fully grown educated person she should know that, and noone owes her a media career.

[@shuddupeyaface]

@@AndyRossism It was a comment about a tennis player who wasn't a guest. She said it in the green room. Lazy language which I won't repeat, but I think she 70.

[@shuddupeyaface]

@@AndyRossismSo you are wrong. Your recollection is wrong.

[@shuddupeyaface]

Though I understand words can do more harm sometimes than physical violence. History shows that. But, words, taken out of perspective for one's own political agenda, that's just scary.

[@jaijai5250]

@@shuddupeyafacethere is only one context for that word. But you have to be on the receiving end to recognise the abuse. You people never fail to amaze me KMT.

[@sallyroddy6566]

a lovely human being

[@lisaleru1803]

What a lovely woman. Honest and open.

[@splodge5714]

A wonderful interview and a joy to listen to Carol. I was smiling right to the end. 😊

[@karenaldridge8851]

Thoroughly entertained. Carol is a credit to her interesting parents!

[@qd4051]

An absolutely lovely, down to earth lady!

[@AJA-ie5uu]

Great interview. What an interesting lady. And I think Denis Thatcher is very under acknowledged for the part he played during that whole time. He was definitely his own man but an excellent support to his wife.

[@letlotlomabua4250]

She handled all the questions intelligently, didn't go into too much detail but managed to be thoroughly entertaining. She looks like a lot of fun over a bottle of wine.

[@yvonnemcwilliam3785]

Lovely lady and highly intelligent.

[@E-Kat]

Can you quote one intelligent sentence, please? Anything of any substance. Repeating the shallow questions back to the terrified reporter is her forte!

[@travelseatsyellowlab]

​@@E-Katno matter what, she is extremely articulate, a clear demonstration of her intelligence and a great memory.

[@wendycurrie9629]

Great interview. Carol is great company. Love the humor and honesty.

[@williamc6564]

Her father comes through her personality more than her mothers does.

[@yourstruthfully1]

Very refreshing. Great sense of humour and a lovely character.

[@melanie7781]

I saw the movie, and I never thought a daughter of Margret Thatcher would ever be that weak. This interview proves me right. What a delightful open and straight talking person, like her mother.

[@tdv7716]

What a brilliant interview . Carol you did your mom proud , congratulations

[@ace6285]

I just read a biography of Margaret Thatcher and wondered what became of her children and lo and behold, this videos landed on my I pad. What an interesting, lively, intelligent woman she is. Like her mother in those ways.

[@JimAckroyd]

Don't be so rude!

[@swarti2036]

Her mother was never interesting or lively . Her mother was horrid ! Always was !

[@dominikabanel340]

May I point out about Carol`s dad, how great man he is. Not scared about having such strongheaded wife. He is part of Margaret`s success.

[@benwyvis759]

brilliant interview; really engaging lady. enjoyed that immensely.

[@danielslubski1028]

What a lovely lady

[@stephenwinter8892]

Belated birthday wishes to Carol thatcher thanks for sharing your life as being apart of British history living at #10 downing street and having well known parents greetings from Canada 🇨🇦

[@mitchmitchell7470]

Absolutely fantastic it brings back memories of my father, he thought the world of Margaret Thatcher, the amount of arguments he had with people sticking up for her I lost count, living in Leeds !! I was young I’m now 56 and absolutely still have a soft spot for Carol. If could have one wish in life would be to spend a day with Carol would be utter brilliance

[@cajsheen2594]

Mrs Thatcher got us out of trouble many times. She was wonderful in the EU, the other members had a respect for her. Carol is a real Dear! X

[@mrsthatcher9815]

i did

[@ninthsunn]

that was very interesting interview, i'm surprisingly enjoyed it.

[@annfinnegan2791]

Really liked this she's great interviewee 😊

[@glorylee4568]

You were absolutely perfect, Carol! Intelligent and articulate!!

[@nicklovell8148]

What a genuine and likeable character! I bet that Carol Thatcher is a scream in a relaxed social situation.

[@maydate86]

So much Maggie's daughter. The way she talks and gestures is exactly like her mum

[@israelorun]

You are a fine example of your upbringing. Great interview.

[@jamesnicholson2503]

Very grounded and very down to earth.She talks like her late dad Dennis.

[@rosenadsady3560]

What a very pleasant and enjoyable character . She dwells only on the positive. I like her !

[@jcfgh]

What a lovely lady she is. I wish her all the very best.

[@mssdn8976]

Good interviewer, gives Carol time to talk. Very enjoyable

[@joavkof]

Many of Carole’s mannerisms are so like her Mother’s.

[@janesaunders8835]

Great interview, I'm another 1953 babe, with blessings 🙏

[@katewilliams7917]

Brilliant! I love her great sense of humour. Very down to earth.

[@markr002]

A very enjoyable interview. Thank you!

[@BarbaraHartley-i9r]

A lovely girl whose humour and amazing entertainment value vanished from TV in an instant, when a private comment was stupidly disgracefully exposed..so we have been robbed. An uplifting character.

[@sjwhittingham4394]

Great interview - I've always liked Carol since I watched her in the jungle.

[@emilyhird2332]

Loved this interview! What a wonderful woman, much respect ❤ Louise and Emily

[@JoeLondon-te3hf]

Thank you!

[@saeedseedat9344]

I never voted for Margaret Thatcher or agreed with her politics. I admired the character. Carol and Mark never really had their mothers intelligence and I was so sad to see them auction off all her belongings via Christies. Most shocking of all was the auctioning of their mothers Gold and Amethyst 18 carat ring, hard stone pebble bracelet and her Red Box. If that belonged to my mother I would have kept it in the family and viewed it as priceless. I have all her books singed with her signature. Many years ago I saw Mrs Thatcher in the Park near the Ritz Hotel. She waived and I waived back. Her security would not let me go anywhere near her. A very great PM.

[@JoTaylor-u9e]

You were always so awesome ,but then you dissapeared,great to hear you back

[@tommoncrieff1154]

She hardly ‘grew up’ in Downing Street, she was 25 when her mother became Prime Minister!

[@deborahcurtis1385]

Margaret Thatcher had 10 years as opposition leader before that, so at a crucial age she was definitely under the microscope. Overall Carol doesn't seem to have a very enquiring mind, she just followed the advice of her father and tried to stay out of trouble she's just very ordinary. She seems very unaware of the negative impact of her mother's policies, the combined impact with Reaganism nor of how the other 99% lives. It's kind of to be expected. Not a very interesting person at all.

[@jaijai5250]

@@deborahcurtis1385finally someone who posses the capacity for critical thinking. They’re unable to identify the privileged, elitist behind the “jovial anecdotes”. No wonder those who control this world were able to dupe them regarding a particular infection.

[@annewalden3795]

The headlines are often misleading and it can be annoying .

[@Kimllg88]

exactly. Shes dining off this for the rest of her life

[@annewalden3795]

@@Kimllg88 You make a good point.

[@Deborah-c9h]

youre lovely Carol and you are lucky to have had such an iconic mother

[@loonylinda]

Ilove Carol..always have, such a humble and intelligent woman.

[@Barbara-yj5tl]

Great interview. I miss Carol being on our tv, she’s lovely!

[@envsf03]

What happened to her, my nan loved her on the One Show.

[@Barbara-yj5tl]

@@envsf03 Jo Brand said Carol used the word G******G in a PRIVATE conversation describing a black sportsperson. JB reported her to BBC bosses who sacked her from ever appearing again.

[@envsf03]

@@Barbara-yj5tl I've just looked it up 😮 and she tied to justify it according to the news reports 😡

[@simonhellier7281]

Like her father. Tough for the families of senior politicians. A friend married the daughter of a senior member of the Thatcher Govt and to our surprise he attended the stag evening, bought a few rounds and good company.

[@lorellemorris1391]

This lady is a credit to her family. A very delightful to listern to. Sad so many are not practical like this person.

[@SJ-dm3eb]

Haven't heard about her for many years. She's in good form. Australia is a wonderful country to live from my experience. i miss it terribly.

[@JT-ok6re]

I've always wanted to see an interview with Margaret Thatcher's children and their perspective! She's definitely like her father even the way she speaks. She's a very lovely person and I love her personality.

[@toddmetzger]

As an American, no, Carol Thatcher isn't a name that perks up in my brain. Just as Amy Carter probably doesn't mean much to anyone outside America. I do remember her mom very well. The interview could have been more intense, but was still informative and entertaining remembering way back then.

[@trevortrevatrevortreva1520]

Such a down to earth and fragrant personality wrapped around a sensitive and awareness of the world will probably be as equally remembered affectionately as a true humanitarian without political alliance who found her own away without seeking grace or favour.

[@farmbrough]

Lovely lady and very good journalist. I used to listen to her on the radio.

[@catbail13]

Great interview. Carole is a funny, down to earth and intelligent woman. As someone else said, she would be the perfect dinner guest! She was brilliant on I'm a Celeb too. When she was talking to Ant & Dec after winning they asked her why she coped so well with the trials. Her response was 'well I was brought up to just get on with it, you will not be surprised to hear!'

[@judebrown2672]

Good on her. Honestly said straight to the point.

[@kirijones3778]

Wow what a great interview. I didn't even know Margaret had children. Cheers for this.

[@cherylwilliams7923]

I really admire Carol Thatcher. She is quietly brilliant.

[@Happinc]

Such a fascinating interview & so interesting to compare Carol with the daughter of Ronald Reagan…🧐😀

[@maureenball6733]

Many of us always liked Carol Thatcher!

[@ANightworkerslife]

Found myself wishing this was a longer interview!

[@selenaclarke]

Theres a lot of her Mother in Carol, very strong Woman

[@MetaMM]

What an enjoyable personality to watch and listen to her story. Interesting!

[@Broadtolove]

Hi there! I'm so sorry to leave this here, but I came across this channel on KZbin and would love to get to know you better. I think you must be a very honest person because I always found your comments so respectful and well-said. If that's okay with you, I would love to be friends-but if it seems weird or uncomfortable in any way, please don't feel obligated to respond. Have a great day and keep sharing!

[@siegfriedpreller]

Great interview

[@thelionsclub4912]

You have a great Person as a Mother.

[@kathrynmoir5636]

From one 70 year old to another I enjoyed that.

[@margeretpaert4435]

Yes..love Carroll..I would to go for a coffee with her...she seems such good fun...her mother is as amazing..such a hard worker..so disciplined.. Brilliant interview...❤😊

[@rdg71-o9t]

Loved Mrs T. No nonsense. She had a real "get it done" attitude. I read that, She was tough on her ministers, tough on opponents etc, but she was brilliant with the ordinary workers at Number 10.

[@patrickgomes2213]

Oh, my I enjoy this. Carol in an incredibly intelligent and also well-spoken person. Quite apart from politics (which sometimes need not be spoken) it's a fascinating glimpse into how things worked once upon a time. It's amazing that she has a certain objectivity. These are fascinating reflections.