At last, she was coming back to where she belonged.
Through busy streets, past some of the landmarks of her time in office, Baroness Thatcher was returned to Parliament yesterday, scene of some of her greatest triumphs.
After so long out of the public eye, the former prime minister was allowed to take centre stage again on this, the first leg of her final journey.
There were no military bands, no massed crowds lining the streets, and none of the pomp and ceremony that will accompany her funeral today.
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Back in Parliament: Baroness Thatcher's coffin resting in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft beneath the Palace of Westminster
Return: The former Prime Minister served for 33 years in the House of Commons and another two decades in the House of Lords; St Mary Undercroft, where her coffin is resting, is all that remains of St Stephen's Chapel, where the House of Commons sat before the fire of 1834
First to arrive: Spectators gather by St Paul's Cathedral along the route of today's funeral procession. Many had arrived by 6.30am
But the 30 minutes it took to transport her coffin across London was a prelude to Lady Thatcher’s last stand – her return to the Palace of Westminster, the battleground where she made her name.
It began with her coffin being placed into a standard hearse at a funeral directors’ headquarters in North London and draped in a Union Jack.
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Then five motorcycle outriders and a shadowing police helicopter escorted it through the capital’s busy weekday traffic to a splendid, temporary resting place in readiness for the big day.
In defiance of the anarchy threatened for her funeral, the journey was punctuated by simple ripples of applause, and even provoked a few cheers along the way.
Cars came to a standstill as drivers realised this was no ordinary procession.
Lining the streets: Mourners carrying banners, signs and flags gather along the route, hours in advance
Sign of respect: Bashkim Krasniqi, 28, from Kosovo, holds up a sign along the route. He grabbed his spot before dawn to ensure a good view of the procession
Early birds: Cameras at the ready, these supporters gathered to pay their final respects to the former prime minister
Proud police officers take their places outside St Clement Danes this morning, ahead of the funeral procession
Tourists, passers-by and a scattering of spectators suddenly found themselves witnessing a moment in history.
Untypical among them was artist Kaya Mar, 57, holding a symbolic painting of Lady Thatcher and what he called ‘Britain’s haves and have-nots’.
He arrived in Britain more than three decades ago from Turkey and France when the Labour-run country was crippled by strikes and left stinking with uncollected rubbish on the streets.
‘I am a socialist,’ Mr Mar told me. ‘But I know Margaret Thatcher had no choice but to do what she did to get the country running again. One day, sooner or later, England will need another Margaret Thatcher.’
Arrival: Lady Thatcher's coffin being carried into the Palace of Westminster yesterday ahead of today's funeral
Mark Thatcher (left) and his children Amanda and Michael with Carol Thatcher in the background and her partner Marco Grass, leaving St Paul's Cathedral yesterday
Grandchildren: Sir Mark's children Amanda, left, and Michael, right, also attended the service in the Palace of Westminster
In mourning: Carol Thatcher and her partner Marco Grass (left). Mark Thatcher with his wife Sarah, leave the home of his late mother, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (right)
In the distance as he spoke, the hearse was about to pass within sight of Downing Street before driving slowly up to the Lords’ entrance to Parliament.
Here, maybe only by chance, the Iron Lady lay briefly in the shadow of a bronze statue of Richard the Lionheart.
An undertaker lifted a large wreath – a circle of white roses with a hand-written card inscribed: ‘Beloved Mother, Always in our Hearts’ – from the coffin to allow four pall-bearers in black ties to carry the casket inside.
And then, moments before Big Ben sounded the hour, she was gone from public view.
Once, Lady Thatcher would have taken her place inside as the dominant figure at the heart of some rowdy Commons debate, surrounded by baying enemies and noisy allies.
Now, in a solitary coffin beneath the silent, vaulted emptiness of an ornate crypt, she was alone. For the next 18 hours, ahead of today’s procession to St Paul’s, she was scheduled to remain in the marble and stone surroundings of the chapel of St Mary Undercroft, deep beneath St Stephen’s Hall.
Return: The body of Lady Thatcher lay overnight in the Parliament where she served for more than five decades
Event: Hundreds of well-wishers stopped to pay their respects as the hearse passed yesterday
Escort: Police motorbike riders, dressed in black, travelled alongside the hearse on its journey towards Parliament
The chapel spans more than 700 years of history, and yesterday, 87 of them belonged to Margaret Hilda Thatcher.
They call it Parliament’s ‘hidden gem’, a prized jewel in the palace’s crown. Like its occupant overnight, it was variously challenged by disaster, reform and betrayal.
Fittingly, perhaps, it once became a hiding place for suffragette Emily Davison when, 102 years ago, she secreted herself in a cupboard overnight to be able to record her place of residence for the following day’s census as the House of Commons.
She did not have the right to vote or to stand for Parliament.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE FUNERAL OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER BARONESS THATCHER
So far more than 2,300 guests have confirmed they will attend the service at St Paul's Cathedral.
32 – all of the current cabinet ministers are planning to attend.
Over 50 attendees associated with the Falklands, including veterans.
Over 30 attendees from Baroness Thatcher’s cabinets from 1979-1990 will attend.
Two heads of state will attend.
11 serving prime ministers and 17 serving foreign ministers from across the globe are attending.
Around 170 countries will be represented by foreign dignitaries (including members of royal families; serving presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers; former PMs and presidents and heads of missions).
11 Overseas Territories will be represented.
Eight horses from the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will be appearing in the procession - 'Mister Twister' is due to lead it.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed over 4,000 officers will be on duty.
6,650 online condolences have been received via the No 10 website.
36,300 views of photos on Flickr released by Downing Street of items related to Baroness Thatcher and pictures from her time as Prime Minister.
1.2million views to the Prime Minister's Facebook content following the death of Lady Thatcher.
Over 1,800 media accredited.
Two years later, she would die after stepping in front of the king’s horse during the Epsom Derby as a protest.
Mrs Thatcher would later benefit from Miss Davison’s feminist cause by becoming an MP in 1959.
Now the former prime minister – or ‘stateswoman (retired)’ as her death certificate rather formally described her – lay just a few feet from the brass plaque commemorating the 1911 event.
She wasn’t alone for long though. After a private service attended by her close family – including son Mark and his children Michael, 24, and Amanda, 19, and daughter Carol with her boyfriend Marco Grass – friends and political associates, a stream of them filed by to pay their respects.
During the night the Speaker’s chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, kept a vigil. Soon, friends and supporters from a nation Lady Thatcher helped to shape will be allowed to say goodbye for the last time.
Search: A policeman lends his sniffer dog a helping hand during a security sweep at Parliament
Tribute: Big Ben will be silenced during the funeral of Lady Thatcher, but left-wing firebrand George Galloway has objected to the honours paid to her
Guest: Henry Kissinger, pictured with Lady Thatcher in Washington DC in 1975, will be attending her funeral in St Paul's Cathedral
Dignitaries: Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (left) and Lord Coe (centre) will attend, but Argentinian ambassador Alicia Castro (right) is staying away
BBC: Journalism luminaries Lord Patten (left), Lord Hall (centre) and John Sergeant (right) will join mourners at the funeral