Pallbearers carry the coffin of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher as it arrives at the Palace of Westminster in London April 16, 2013. Thatcher, who was conservative prime minister between 1979 and 1990, died on April 8 at the age of 87.

Downing Street announced that Britain's first female prime minister would receive a ceremonial funeral, with gun carriage, military procession and a service at St Paul's Cathedral, in the style of the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Queen Mother. (Source: Guardian.co.uk)

英国首相府宣布，将为英国首位女首相举行“礼仪葬礼”，包括皇家乘骑炮兵部队的炮车，军队列队行进以及圣保罗大教堂的仪式，规格与英国已故王太后和戴安娜王妃的葬礼相同。

Ceremonial funeral（礼仪葬礼）一般来说只有王室家族的高层成员（senior members of the royal family）才能享受，而且举办礼仪葬礼需得到女王的首肯（the consent of the Queen）；而国葬（state funeral）则多为王室君主（sovereign as head of state）举行，举行国葬需要先在议会投票表决（motion or vote in Parliament）。礼仪葬礼比国葬要低一级，不过两种葬礼通常都包括遗体告别仪式（lying in state）以及在威斯敏斯特教堂或圣保罗大教堂举行的葬礼仪式（Westminster Abbey service or a service at St Paul's Cathedral）。

英国此次为撒切尔夫人举行的是带有军事荣誉的“礼仪葬礼”（a ceremonial funeral with military honours）。葬礼前一天，她的灵柩将被送至到国会大厦内的圣玛丽教堂（Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster，home to Britain's Houses of Parliament），葬礼当天，灵柩将由灵车（hearse）送至圣克莱蒙•戴恩斯教堂，之后被放至皇家乘骑炮兵部队的炮车（gun carriage）由皇家乘骑炮兵部队（King's Troop Royal Artillery）引领沿街列队行进，沿途会有三军士兵（tri-service military personnel）和普通民众瞻仰并表达哀思，最后到达圣保罗大教堂进行葬礼仪式（funeral service）。葬礼第二天，将会进行私人火化仪式（private cremation）。