LONDON (AP) — The lady’s certainly for earning.
An auction of artifacts belonging to late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — including her signature handbags — has raised 4.5 million pounds ($6.8 million), many times its pre-sale estimate.
Christie’s sold more than 400 items through a live and online auction. It said Thursday that the sales attracted bids from 44 countries.
A model of a bald eagle presented to Thatcher by Cold War ally President Ronald Reagan sold for 266,500 pounds ($404,014), while her red ministerial dispatch box fetched 242,500 pounds ($367,630).
Another top lot was a silver bowl engraved with one of Thatcher’s most famous phrases: “The lady’s not for turning.”
Branded the “Iron Lady” for her steely determination, Thatcher governed Britain between 1979 and 1990. She died in April 2013.
