London ( CNN ) -- In the week between her death and her funeral , Britons are having an awkward time coming to terms with the legacy of Margaret Thatcher , a prime minister who last held office 23 years ago -- meaning no one under 40 could have voted for her , yet the mix of anger and admiration is spread across the generations . The emotional outpouring in this famously undemonstrative nation is matched in recent memory only by the death of Diana , Princess of Wales , when flowers piled up outside royal palaces and Elton John 's mawkish `` Candle in the Wind '' surged to the top of the charts . But while Diana was mourned in unity by millions as the `` people 's princess , '' Thatcher 's death is being marked in widely different and unpredictable ways . WATCH : Not everyone 's mourning Thatcher 's death . It has become an overused adjective in the media that Thatcher was `` divisive . '' Some countries might put aside political differences and unite to respect the passing of a leader -- especially the first and only female PM , who won three successive general elections . But in the UK debate about Thatcher is raging almost as fiercely as it did in the 1980s over issues like the privatization of industries , the Falklands War , tax and social policy , her close relationship with American President Ronald Reagan and combative stance against the European Union . To many she was the woman who broke the mold , showing the way for others , and the leader who made `` Britain great again , '' according to PM David Cameron . Geri Halliwell , aka `` Ginger Spice '' from the 1990s girl band the Spice Girls , spoke for many when she tweeted this tribute : `` Thinking of our 1st Lady of girl power , Margaret Thatcher , a grocer 's daughter who taught me anything is possible ... x . '' Halliwell later deleted the tweet in the face of online criticism , but went on to regret the move , describing herself as `` weak '' and cowardly . Despite a generation having grown up since she left power , Thatcher 's supporters and critics remain passionate and loud -- including many too young to have known her reign directly . On the day her death was announced , impromptu parties popped up in cities across the land -- especially areas that saw unrest three decades ago such as Birmingham , Liverpool and Brixton , in south London , as well as former coal-mining communities devastated by long-term unemployment . The right-wing Daily Mail tabloid newspaper was again outraged , blaming three decades of `` vitriol and hatred from the left . '' And as members of parliament gathered in parliament on Wednesday to honor her from the Conservative benches and recognize or revile her from the Labour side , bosses at the state-funded BBC were grappling with a new problem -- whether to air the song `` Ding Dong ! The Witch Is Dead '' from `` Wizard of Oz '' on its weekly chart show . The song reached Number 2 in the national charts after it was adopted by an anti-Thatcher group on Facebook and Twitter , prompting a backlash in newspapers that supported Thatcher , like the Mail , which denounced the architects of the protest as `` teachers of hatred '' and `` revolting . '' In the end , only a 5-second clip of the song was played , a messy compromise that pleased neither side . Meanwhile , soccer clubs , some of which are owned by Thatcher supporters , said it would be appropriate to hold a minute 's silence to honor her memory before kick-off at weekend games . But even Thatcher 's former Sports Minister David Mellor went on the record to say this was a bad idea . The message between the lines was that basically , fans could not be trusted to show respect . The English Football Association later decided against it , and none were held at any major fixtures . `` A minute silence is to mark and remember football people . Great football people . Or moments of national tragedy where all unite , say 9/11 or Remembrance Sunday ... '' explained David Conn , a football writer for The Guardian newspaper . `` It was above politics . They have never had a minute 's silence for a political figure . By definition it is divisive . '' If the former PM 's death alone was not enough to reopen old wounds , her `` ceremonial funeral with military honors , '' planned for next week , certainly has . Like the services for the Queen Mother in 2001 , Diana in 1997 , and the state funeral for wartime leader Winston Churchill in 1965 , the coffin will be transported from Westminster to St. Paul 's Cathedral on a gun-carriage escorted by 700 military personnel , including those who fought in the Falklands conflict against Argentina 's annexation of the remote Atlantic islands . The service is really a state funeral in all but name ; although it is not dictated by parliament there will be plenty of pomp and for the first PM 's funeral since Churchill 's , Queen Elizabeth II will attend . The Guardian reported on Friday though that Thatcher herself wanted a more low-key funeral ( `` I 'm not Winston , '' she reportedly said ) but the current Conservative-led coalition government appears to have over-ridden her wishes . The Daily Mail is not so easily brushed aside though , and at the end of last week was urging its 1 million-plus readers to send off coupons for a full state funeral . In the current climate , police are braced for protests from troublemakers . Why then does Thatcher continue to cause such trouble after her death ? In years to come , it may be significant that she died on the same day many of the coalition 's austerity cuts started to bite . On April 8 , major benefit curbs took effect while the top rate of income tax was cut from 50 % to 45 % for those earning more than Â£150,000 ( 230,000 ) , and the coalition government is attracting much flak for its economic policies . The cost of the funeral has also caused a ruckus , with many calling for a more low-key remembrance . `` In a context where there is great ill feeling about her legacy , '' said the Bishop of Grantham , Thatcher 's own birthplace , `` we have a situation where we seem to be expecting the nation to glorify that with a Â£10 million funeral is asking for trouble . People with extreme views will use it to promote their political views . '' And if Cameron , Thatcher 's successor as Conservative leader , had hoped that her death would boost his own fortunes , he 'll be disappointed . This week it was revealed that support for the party had sunk to an all-time low . In contrast to his own low personal ratings , his predecessor 's death may remind voters that Thatcher was in a league of her own when it came to political charisma . As The Economist pointed out this week , Churchill may have won World War II , `` but he never created an '-ism . ' '' The end of the Thatcher-era also comes at a point when many politicians are debating to what extent the neo-liberal economic model espoused by Thatcher is to blame for the economic crisis of the last five years and what direction to take next . And while a scab on the wounds inflicted by Thatcherism communities by Thatcher grew during the years since her downfall in 1990 , the death of the `` Iron Lady '' has brought them all back into the open . Those on the right are saying `` What the world needs now is more Thatcherism , not less , '' while those on the left decry `` her demeanor and every discernible action ( that ) seemed to be to the detriment of our national spirit and identity . '' For the next few days , the front line of this battle appears to have been drawn in British pubs , around its dining tables and on the streets of its cities .
Mixed feelings towards the legacy of the ` ` Iron Lady '' in Australia . Anger rages over the former PM 's political views . Impromptu parties celebrating her death have occurred around the world . Cost of mourning has also caused controversy ; many call for low - cost mourning .