Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of Margaret Thatcher, was married to Diane Burgdorf, born on October 04, 1960 to millionaire Texas car dealer Theodore C. Burgdorf, she studied at the Southern Methodist Univ, Dallas.
The couple had two children: Michael Thatcher (who is heir apparent to the baronetcy), and Amanda Margaret Thatcher. After divorcing Diane, Mark Thatcher married his second wife, Sarah-Jane Russell, in 2008.
Mark Thatcher first met Diane in 1987, when he moved to Dallas, Texas, representing the luxury automotive company Lotus Cars, after he became lost for six days in the Sahara Desert while competing in the Dakar Rally. The couple got married on February 14, 1987, in Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy, in London, England.
Their first child, Michael, was born on February 28, 1989, and their second, Amanda Margaret, in 1993. The family moved to South Africa in 1996 following financial scandals in the US.
In September 2005, and after 18 years of marriage, Mark and Diane announced their intention to divorce. That same year, he pleaded guilty in relation to an attempted African coup. Diane moved back to the US with their children. Mark also left South Africa but could not get US visa because of his conviction and settled briefly in Monaco before moving to Gibraltar, where he married Sarah-Jane Russell in a low-key ceremony.
Reportedly, Mark had an affair with Sarah Jane, who is the ex-wife of Lord Francis Russell and the daughter of Terence J. Clemence. It is said that Diane confronted them in a California hotel in 1994.
52-year-old Diane later married sports car millionaire, 61-year-old James Beckett, in 2008. They were introduced by friends at Diane’s home in Dallas, Texas. Diane said:
“He dropped to one knee holding a little velvet box with a ring inside and proposed. He told me how much he loved me, why he loved me, and how he was convinced that the Lord had caused our lives to intersect.”
Diane Beckett share a very devout Christian faith with her husband, with him “finding God” at 47, following a heart attack. She once said:
“I told my friends there was no way I’d ever embark upon a new relationship unless that man was a Christian, and not just in name, but in his heart… Jim’s integrity and high moral standards are a direct result of his strong faith. I had a deepening awareness that this man was who he really said he was and that he was worthy of my heart.”
Mr. Beckett has three daughters from a previous marriage. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on sports memorabilia cards, which are licensed by American teams and can command five-figure prices at auctions.
