It was commissioned in 1998 by the sculptor Neil Simmons by the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art;[1] paid for by an anonymous donor, it was intended for a plinth among statues of former Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom in the Members' Lobby of the House of Commons.

[3][4] On 3 July 2002, theatre producer Paul Kelleher decapitated the statue while it was on display at Guildhall Art Gallery.

[7] At his first trial, Kelleher said in his defense that the attack involved his "artistic expression and my right to interact with this broken world".

The jury, despite nearly four hours of deliberation and a direction from the judge that it could decide by the majority, failed to agree on whether or not he had "lawful excuse".

On 21 February 2007, a new statue of Thatcher was commissioned in 2003 from sculptor Antony Dufort and this time in tougher silicon bronze.