Margaret Thatcher’s desk gets the vote

A desk that belonged to former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher smashed its estimate in a recent sale at Sloane Street Auctions in London. Estimated at £1,000-2,000 the furniture eventually hammered down at £60,000.

The five-drawer mahogany desk, which was kept in the late politician’s Chelsea home, was where she wrote many of her speeches during her time as leader of the opposition.

Elsewhere, other items in the sale from Margaret Thatcher which were in demand included a presentation vanity case in burr walnut by Chaumet. The case was presented to the politician by King Hassan II of Morocco in March 1989 during a tour of Africa, and hammer at £55,000 against an estimate of £6,000-8,000.

A wedding day portrait of the former Conservative leader attracted bidding to £20,000, beating its upper estimate of £6,000, while a silver letter opener by sought-after Australian artist and metalworker Stuart Devlin, carrying an inscription ‘It was a famous victory… 3rd May 1979’, fetched £22,000 against its £300-500 estimate.

The sale offered a total of 39 lots connected to Margaret Thatcher and, with premium, made £33,000.