The Goldfish Bowl: Married To The Prime Minister

Product Description

When your husband (or wife, in Denis Thatcher's case) becomes Prime Minister, & the doors of No.10 close behind you, every aspect of life is suddenly changed. This was what Cherie Booth discovered. Intrigued, Cherie & social historian Cate Haste set out to explore the experience of previous political generations since the 1950s. Were the 'consorts' prepared for their role, or were they taken by surprise? How did they deal with life at No 10? How intrusive was the press, & how has this changed over the years? How did they find a way to live their own lives & conduct a marriage & a family life? How far did they feel caught up in the great events & crises of the day? Based on personal interviews, diaries & letters, & the accounts of surviving spouses, families, close friends & colleagues, the story begins with three Conservatives, who moved with almost hereditary ease in the circles of high politics
- Clarissa Eden, Dorothy Macmillan & Elizabeth Home. Then the situation changes with the arrival of Labour governments, & we observe life as it was for Mary Wilson & Audrey Callaghan, before moving on to the contrasting experiences of Denis Thatcher
- the only man ever to occupy the role
- & Norma Major. Against a backdrop of dramatic events on the world stage, from the Suez crisis, the Cold War, the swinging sixties & the three-day week, through to the Thatcher years & the Gulf War, we see radical changes in social attitudes & in the media reflected in their lives. In a final chapter Cherie Booth gives her personal commentary on her predecessors' experience. Set against the background of the changing place of women in our society, this illuminating & intimate book explores the pressures & rewards of daily life in the 'goldfish bowl' of No. 10 & Chequers, & offers fascinating insights into the 'political marriage' & the changing role of the leader's spouse.