Margaret Thatcher 'had two affairs' explosive new book claims

A sensational new book has claimed that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had two extramarital affairs during her long-standing marriage to Dennis. Mrs Thatcher's personal life is subject to new scrutiny for the first time as conservatives celebrate the 100-year anniversary of her birth in 1925.

Despite a loving marriage to husband Dennis for more than 50 years, a new book claims that the Iron Lady was involved in two affairs during her life. The Incidental Feminist alleges that the future Prime Minister enjoyed relations with Tim Bell, an advertising and PR expert known for his role as Mrs Thatcher's "favourite spin-doctor and confidante". The book, written by Tina Gaudoin, claims Lord Bell touched Mrs Thatcher's knee during dinners, and would later claim he had enjoyed an "extracurricular friendship" with the union-busting Tory leader.

He described his under-the-table shenanigans as "one of her favourite things", along with "other stuff" that took place discreetly during dinners.

The second man alleged to have enjoyed an overly familiar relationship with Britons' favourite PM was Sir Humphrey Atkins, a Tory MP for Spelthorne who served in a number of top Cabinet jobs.

Former Conservative minister Jonathan Aitken, who spoke to Ms Gaudoin for the book, told the author: "There were knowledgeable rumours to that effect at the time. His good looks might have appealed to her, but his political brain was hopeless."

Another politician said: "The joke about Atkins was that for someone who was not very good, he kept getting promoted. Now why was that?".

With Lord Bell, Ms Gaudoin reports he "was unlikely to have got to what the Americans delicately term 'third base' (or even first or second)"

However Lord Moore, who wrote three volumes of Mrs Thatcher's official biography, insists: "I have heard the Atkins rumour in the past, but there is no evidence that I have ever seen to support it.

"My own sense is that it is vanishingly unlikely. I have never before heard the Tim Bell rumour. Again, I think it vanishingly unlikely."

The book also delves into Denis Thatcher's unlikely friendship with Mandy Rice-Davies, a former model embroiled in the Profumo affair that brought down Mrs Thatcher's predecessor Harold Macmillan.

After the couple left No. 10 in 1990, Mr Thatcher reportedly struck up a close relation with her, exchanging affection letters and even holidaying together.

The author said: "A lot of people I spoke to said that she was far more sexy in person than she appeared to be... A lot of people said that when she entered the room there was a definite frisson."