Thatcher 'stayed up' for entire Falklands War

London: Margaret Thatcher stayed up all night in her Downing Street flat throughout the three months of the Falklands War and never changed into her bedclothes, it has been revealed.

She sat fully dressed, huddled round a two-bar electric fire, nervously listening to the radio for news of the conflict, while husband Denis slept in the spare room.

Baroness Thatcher survived by taking 20-minute catnaps — a ‘zizz', she called it, in the day and catching up on sleep at weekends at Chequers.

The extraordinary account was disclosed when she returned to No 10 last week to unveil a portrait of her commissioned by Gordon Brown.

Her ability to survive on four hours' sleep has long been the stuff of Tory legend. But she took it to a new extreme in the war with Argentina in 1982, said her former personal assistant Cynthia "Crawfie" Crawford.

Crawford, who was at the unveiling, said she moved into the tiny No 10 flat to keep Lady Thatcher company in her all-night vigils.

"She did not once change into her nightclothes in the flat for the duration of the war," said Crawford.

"We would sit in the flat listening to the BBC World Service for news of the task force. She couldn't sleep because she wanted to be ready in case anything happened.

"She wanted to be able to go to any briefings with the Naval commanders at any time without the fuss and bother of having to get dressed.

"She also wanted to know everything that was happening, every single detail, so she could keep on top of events. She had to know how the soldiers, sailors and airmen were getting on. She was so worried about them. It was awful when we heard any reports of our ships being hit. Her determination and powers of endurance were unbelievable."

Crawford said she sat with Lady Thatcher through the long nights of the war from April to June.