BERMAN: We do begin this hour with breaking news. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died. That news is from her spokesman. Of course, Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister in England, in Great Britain, 1979 to 1990. She led a conservative government for that time. She was a fierce ally of the United States during those cold war years, a great friend to Ronald Reagan and also controversial prime minister for some in Britain with austerity measures. She battled the unions there. She also led that nation in the Falkland war against Argentina. That's controversial but galvanized and really solidified her support within that country.</s>ROMANS: In 1984, she escaped an IRA terrorist bombing at her hotel and she went on eventually to see peace, at that time unthinkable. So she saw a lot of changes over her life time. Including 2002, she retired from public life after a series of small strokes and she's been really very private since then. Her daughter confirmed in 2008 that she was suffering from dementia, but clearly a woman whose public image was very -- iron lady.</s>BERMAN: You say talk about the changes she saw, how about this. She was the first and only so far woman prime minister of Britain and she led that country again through difficult times. And still an icon in that country.</s>ROMANS: She's 87 years old and again her spokesman is confirming to CNN this morning that Margaret Thatcher has died. She had been hospitalized a couple of times over the past few months. Obviously, 87 years old and in 2002, she had had a series of strokes. That's when she retired from public life. She did attend the funeral services for Ronald Reagan in June of 2004 and those two figures really key in that era of the American-British friendship.</s>BERMAN: It was such an amazing life and CNN's Becky Anderson -- we don't have Becky Anderson now I'm told. As you were saying though, you know, such --
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Dead