Who is Mark Thatcher and did he really go missing as shown in 'The Crown' on Netflix?

The Crown season 4 follows in the Thatcher years, introducing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (played by Gillian Anderson in The Crown cast). In the Netflix royal biopic, The Crown, the Iron Lady is seen head to head with the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in addition to embarking on a brutal Cabinet reshuffle. Her opinions never waver, including her thoughts on which of her twins, Mark, and Carol Thatcher is her favourite child. However, when that favourite, Mark Thatcher (Freddie Fox), goes missing during the 1982 Paris-Dakar motor rally, his disappearance proves to be a chink in his mother’s steel armour.

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Who is Mark Thatcher?

Mark Thatcher was born in 1953. Mark is the son of the earlier British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Sir Denis Thatcher. He has a twin sister, Carol Thatcher. Mark was reportedly Margaret Thatcher’s favourite child, as seen in The Crown. In February 1980 it was stated that Mark would model clothes for a Japanese firm in exchange for a motor racing sponsorship. The news caused rage among Labour MPs based in Britain’s textile areas; Mark initially threatened to leave Britain, before later announcing that he had dropped his plan to race in Japan.

Also read: 'The Crown' Season 4 First Look Unveiled With Glimpse Of Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher

When and how did he go missing? 

On January 12, 1982, Mark Thatcher was stated missing in the Sahara while he was taking part in the Paris-Dakar rally which was an international motor race. He, his French co-driver, and their mechanic were last seen on January 10, near the Mali-Algerian border, but were not reported missing until two days later. Mark had told a BBC reporter before competing that he had then raced in Le Mans and other things and that rally was no problem.

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On the evening of January 12, the Queen sent a private message of concern to Mark’s mother, Margaret Thatcher. An extensive rescue effort began, and his father Denis Thatcher flew out to Algeria to join the search. The next day, January 13, Margaret Thatcher was said to have broken down in tears between the foyer of a London hotel while on her way to a public engagement.

Larrain Goldstein, the owner of a handbag boutique in the Imperial Hotel in Russell Square, told reporters that Thatcher stumbled and was crying and weeping. Then she composed herself and said that she would be all right. Margaret Thatcher cancelled her meeting with the Hungarian Foreign Minister before she returned to her private rooms at Downing Street. Later, Mark Thatcher was found alive and well at Taoumdert on Thursday, January 14, 1982, 50km off course.

Also read: 'The Crown' S4: This Is What Gillian Anderson Did To To Play Margaret Thatcher!