St Paul's Cathedral in London was packed for her funeral service. The British Government said it wasn't a state funeral but it appeared to have all the trappings of one. It must be a major logistical exercise arranging a funeral, state or otherwise, of that size and other key events such as royal weddings. England has had some practice in recent years starting with the funerals of Princess Diana and then the Queen Mother.
I'm sure they have the funeral arrangements for Prince Philip and the Queen all mapped out to the last detail. At their age things can happen at any time.
We've had William and Kate's wedding too which must have been a major planning exercise as well.
New Zealand had a representative at the funeral alongside of members, past and present, of the British Government and other world leaders. Some of these would have been Mrs Thatcher's arch enemies while she was Prime Minister. But somehow in death people are inclined to be more forgiving and understanding. This hasn't been the case with all of the British public though.
Under Mrs Thatcher's rule large parts of northern England were decimated. She took on the union leaders of the shipyard workers and coal miners. Mines closed and thousands of people lost their jobs. She believed in the free market, competition and deregulation. Job creation was not the role of government and unprofitable businesses should not remain trading. She insisted "it is the responsibility of the individual to take care of their own family".
Her reforms made her a figure of hate for thousands. But many thousands more saw her as a beacon of hope.
They wanted government out of their lives and she was determined to ensure that happened. Listening to the various commentators this week it's hard to remember what England was like in the 1970s when Mrs Thatcher came to power. Decline is a word often heard. A country held to ransom by the unions. Record growth of the welfare system. And a continuous wave of immigrants arriving from all corners of the world.
As Prime Minister she flatly refused "to manage the decline of her country" and set a course of action to reform, rebuild and reposition Britain to be a trading partner fit for the world stage. Increased productivity and steady economic growth was her Government's mantra.
And she pulled it off. While there were many within her own Government who came to despise her, I suspect they also begrudgingly admired and respected her. She was exceedingly stubborn in her approach to dealing with issues, members of her Cabinet and other world leaders too if they opposed her plans.
Hers was leadership borne out of necessity. What would Britain look like today had it not been for Mrs Thatcher's single minded purpose - to make Britain great again?
A country doesn't change of its own accord. It's people that must first change. When they see and believe in the benefits of change they will then work to take their country from good to great. Mrs Thatcher knew that to make the change Britain needed to make she would not be asking permission. Her leadership style of "coming ready or not" was very much fit for purpose.
