(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-09 10:45

LONDON - Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher returned home Saturday afternoon after spending Friday night undergoing medical checks in a London hospital.

Britain's former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher waves as she leaves St Thomas' Hospital in London March 8, 2008. The former Prime Minister was taken to the south London hospital on Friday for precautionary medical tests. [Agencies]

Her spokesman said Thatcher, 82, was taken to St Thomas' Hospital after falling ill at a House of Lords dinner Friday evening.

She had felt "giddy and queasy", but tests revealed "nothing of substance," he said.

Thatcher's daughter, Carol, said the decision to take her mother to the nearby hospital was a wise one given her medical history. "But it is good news today. She is doing well," she said.

The ex-PM retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and has suffered several smaller strokes subsequently.

Mark Worthington, her private secretary, said Thatcher was sitting up in her living room and chatting with visitors. However, she was not taking any phone calls. "She is going to have a quiet day and we are going to let her get a bit of rest," he said.

Prominent political figures including Prime Minister Gordon Brown and   Conservative Party leader David Cameron wished Thatcher a quick recovery, local media reported.

Thatcher last appeared in public three weeks ago when she opened a new infirmary for Chelsea pensioners.

Thatcher, who served as British prime minister from May 1979 to November 1990, was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Cameron at a ceremony in London in January.

He described her as a "towering figure" who had "transformed our country."

The former prime minister also won praise from current British leader Gordon Brown during a high-profile visit to Downing Street last year.