A DISTINGUISHED portrait painter has revealed how his friendship with Margaret Thatcher flourished during the several times he painted her portrait.

Michael Noakes, who moved to Malvern Wells in 2007, even had the former Prime Minister as a dinner guest before suggesting a a spectacular portrait of her standing more than 12ft high.

Baroness Thatcher was still at Number 10 the first time Mr Noakes painted her and the artist got to know the Conservative leader and husband Denis.

“We invited them to dinner at our house in London,” he said. “We used to have quite a mix of people at these occasions, from field marshals to people such as David Attenborough and actor Donald Sinden. They were wonderful occasions.

“We used to talk when I was painting her and I said that what I really wanted to do was paint a full-length picture of her standing at the door of Number 10.

“To my delight, she thought that it was a great idea.”

The life-size portrait of the premier standing at the door of number 10 was unveiled by husband Sir Denis at the Fine Art Society in Bond Street in 1993.

Mr Noakes added: “There were some things I disagreed with her about, or was uncertain about, like the sinking of the Belgrano, or what happened to the coalminers, but all in all, I would say she was a much kinder person than her public image suggested.”

He said one thing he had to get used to was the security arrangements that surrounded her wherever she went, including two cars in case one went wrong, drivers and police bodyguards.

“The final lunch I gave her was at the Garrick Club and the police wanted us to say our goodbyes inside, away from the public eye. Even long after she had retired, she was still a target,” Mr Noakes added.