Sales of the black structured handbags that Margaret Thatcher loved have jumped 53 per cent since her death two weeks. Two of the bags by Launer London, entitled Bellini and Adagio, have seen a significant increase, with the biggest spike in popularity coinciding with the day of the former Prime Minister's funeral. The Baroness was often spotted with her Asprey number, that fetched £25,000 at an auction in 2011, but she was also a fan of the quintessentially British handbag brand Launer, as was Queen Elizabeth.
Her relationship with the company began after the company's chief executive, Gerald Bodmer, gave Margaret one of their bags as a gift, accompanied by a newspaper cartoon showing her hitting Argentina with her handbag – a reference to the Falklands War fought between Argentina and the UK. The Bellini has a price tag of £930 while the Adagio was £995. The designer brand, which still manufactures its bags in Walsall, reported a similar peak in demand around the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, after Her Majesty was spotted toting three bespoke style during the festivities.
Demand for similar handbags rose by around 58 per cent, causing the website to crash. The majority of these orders were international, while 75 per cent of sales after Margaret Thatcher's death have been domestic. Britain's longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century was laid to rest on Wednesday morning in a grand ceremonial service held at St Paul's Cathedral, following a procession by horse-drawn carriage through London's streets that were filled by thousands of mourners. The emotional service was attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, current Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, and a host of other former leaders along with Lady Thatcher's twins Mark and Carol. Dignitaries from 170 countries were also present at the funeral service.
Others in attendance included the well-known faces of Sarah Ferguson, Joan Collins, Katherine Jenkins and Andrew Lloyd Webber, just a few of the many mourners from across the world who paid their respects to Baroness Thatcher. During the sombre proceedings, the iconic politician – who is the only female prime minister to have served in Britain to date – was hailed for her "leadership, courage and steadfastness." Her beloved granddaughter Amanda, 19, read at the service – a detail expressly requested by Lady Thatcher, famously known as the Iron Lady, herself. She also asked that David Cameron read, which he did.Mark and Carol paid tribute to their mother more privately with a small card nestled in the wreath that adorned her coffin: "Beloved Mother - always in our hearts.
