London - Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
83, was taken to hospital Friday after breaking her arm in a fall at
her home in London.
Her spokeswoman said Thatcher had 'lost her footing and tripped
over at home' early Friday, breaking a bone in her upper arm.
She was taken to Chelsea & Westminster hospital in central London
where she would stay overnight as a 'precaution.'
Thatcher, known as the 'Iron Lady,' ruled Britain from 1979 to
1990. She has suffered a number of health scares in recent years,
including a series of minor strokes.
Last summer, her daughter Carol spoke for the first time publicly
about her mother's battle with dementia.
She said her mother was struggling to finish sentences, did not
know where she lived and forgot that her husband Denis had died in
2002.
In the same year, on advice from doctors, Thatcher cut down her
commitments and all but stopped speaking.
In March 2008, she spent a night in hospital after fainting
following a dinner in the House of Lords.
However, she continues to attend ceremonial functions.
Earlier this week, she celebrated the 30th anniversary of her
landmark 1979 election victory at a private London club.
At the end of May, she met Pope Benedict XVI after his weekly
audience in Rome's St Peter's Square.
'It's a simple fracture, but bearing in mind who she is, she's 83
and the shock to the system, it's just belt and braces. There is
nothing untoward,' her spokeswoman said.
There were 'no complications or other health issues to be
concerned about.'
However, orthopaedic surgeon Barry Ferris said Friday it could
take Thatcher 'many months' to recover from the injury.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story