Virginia Governor George Allen with Great Britain's former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who addressed the General Assembly with a 20-minute speech.
February 1995
George Allen, who was Virginia Governor during the 1995 visit, remembered Margaret Thatcher today, writing, "Susan and I mourn the loss of one of the world's greatest leaders, Margaret Thatcher. Our meetings with the 'Iron Lady' were always informative and invigorating, and she projected an eternally optimistic view, as did her partner Ronald Reagan, in the advancement of freedom. Indeed, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul and Margaret Thatcher were the essential, unified trio that lead to the fall of the Iron Curtain. We enjoyed learning from Lady Thatcher in England and when she came to Richmond for an historic address at our Virginia Capitol."
Governor Bob McDonnell also remembered that day in Richmond. He released a statement that noted, “With great sadness, I learned of the passing of Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Throughout her career, including 15 years as leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister Thatcher kept to her principles and used her remarkable talents to achieve positive results for the country she loved. As the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom she set an example for generations to come by leading with courage, grace, and unfaltering resolve.
"In my fourth year in the legislature in 1995, Baroness Thatcher addressed the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, saying ‘those unwilling to live the strenuous life of liberty; those who do not value freedom for its own sake, rather than its comforts, are unlikely to hold on to it… when I consider all that this place has given to democracy, I am moved to say that in spirit, I am a Virginian.’ Virginia stands with the people of Britain in mourning the passing of this pioneering leader and in reflecting on her life of service.”
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