Legacy of fear and respect across world

Whether they loved her or loathed her, virtually all the world leaders she ever met stood in awe of Margaret Thatcher.

She was respected — and in some cases even feared — right across the world’s political spectrum, from the White House to the Kremlin, from Beijing to Buenos Aires.

She was admired, even doted upon, by US presidents, and detested by many leaders of African states. But nobody, least of all her critics, ever treated her as of no consequence.