Who plays Margaret Thatcher in The Reckoning?
Most viewers will recognise her from a beloved BBC period drama.
The power and influence Jimmy Savile wielded during the height of his fame, and even after he died, as evidenced by the huge turnout for his funeral, is emphasised throughout BBC drama The Reckoning, which charts his heinous crimes and explores the culture and institutions which enabled him to do as he pleased.
As seen in the series, one powerful figure who the presenter and DJ forged a relationship with was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Savile was supported by Thatcher in his official role as lead fundraiser and commissioning project manager in the £10 million reconstruction of the spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital following damage caused by severe weather.
According to correspondence released by the National Archives in 2012, Savile met with Thatcher several times in an attempt to get support for his appeal, with the then-Department for Health and Social Security promising a "government contribution".
An official report carried out into Savile's activities at the hospital noted that this position gave him "virtually uncontested authority and control".
There were also several written communications between the pair, one which read: "My girl patients pretended to be madly jealous and wanted to know what you wore and what you ate. All the paralysed lads called me 'Sir James' all week. They all love you. Me too!!"
Despite warnings from senior civil servants, including the most senior Sir Robert Armstrong, Thatcher lobbied for Savile to receive a knighthood for his extensive charity work, which was spotlighted in a Freedom of Information request obtained by The Sun (via BBC News).
"We remain worried," said Armstrong following public comments made by Savile about having sex with women while running marathons for charity. "Fears have been expressed that Mr Savile might not be able to refrain from exploiting a knighthood in a way which brought the honours system into disrepute."
But in 1990, just weeks after Thatcher had stood down, Savile received a knighthood.
While in office, she also invited him to Chequers on several occasions, and Savile even spent New Year's Eve with the politician and her family, although there is no indication that Thatcher knew anything about Savile's crimes.
Who plays Margaret Thatcher in The Reckoning?
Fenella Woolgar portrays the former British PM in the series.
Most people will know her as Sister Hilda from Call the Midwife. She first appeared in the BBC drama back in 2018, but was absent from the previous season after her character left Nonnatus House in Poplar, east London.
An insider told The Mirror that there could be scope for her to return in the future.
People might also know her from Stephen Fry's 2003 film Bright Young Things, and she's also appeared in Victoria & Abdul starring Dame Judi Dench and Ali Fazal, BBC One's Jekyll, and ITV period drama Home Fires, among others.
Read more:
- What happened to Dan Davies from The Reckoning?
- Jimmy Savile's relationship with his mother Agnes, explained
- Who is Bill Cotton from The Reckoning?
- Who is Ray Teret from The Reckoning?
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All four episodes of The Reckoning are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
