It sounds as if Christmas with Margaret Thatcher was as miserable as you might expect.

Lord Bell, a friend and advisor to the late Prime Minister, detailed his memories of the “sort of horrible” parties” he attended at Chequers.

Thatcher didn’t permit presents, casual attire, games or children.

“Was it fun; was it jolly? No, of course not,” he writes in his autobiography Right or Wrong, as published in an extract by The Times. “It was trying and traditional and terribly polite. And sort of horrible, really.”

“There were absolutely no presents — presents were not part of Christmas as far as Margaret was concerned. No Christmas jumpers. No open-necked shirts. No charades. No games. And no children — apart from the year we had our three-month-old baby Daisy and she was too small to leave at home, so I had to get special permission to take her with us.”

Despite the best efforts of Thatcher’s husband, Denis, who was “always full of joie de vivre”, the day was highly regimented. Apparently, if you were early you waited round the corner in the car because “nobody wanted to get there first”.

“The protocol for the day was utterly traditional and exactly the same every year. Festivities would commence at 12.30pm sharp,” he recalled.

Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Show all 9 1 /9 Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics 1950: British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, then Miss Margaret Roberts, attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace, as a Conservative MP. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics Margaret Roberts, later Thatcher, the youngest candidate in the Conservative Party, plans her election campaign. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics 3rd June 1975: British conservative politician, Margaret Thatcher, with William Whitelaw and Peter Kirk, at a referendum conference on Europe. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics Margaret Thatcher, accompanied by her husband Denis (1915 - 2003) and children Carol and Mark, on election night when she led the Conservative Party to victory in the British General Election. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics 1982: British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, American president Ronald Reagan (left) and US Secretary of State Alexander Haig (centre) outside Number 10, Downing Street during Reagan's state visit to London. The new UK/USA 'Special Relationship' was founded on the rapport between the two leaders. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics 14th January 1982: British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, with husband Denis (1915 - 2003) and children Mark and Carol. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics Margaret Thatcher celebrates on election night in 1987 Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher flanked by her husband Denis, addresses the press, 28 November 1990 for the last time in front of 10 Downing Street in London prior to hand her resignation as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret Thatcher - a life in politics Margaret Thatcher and politics Margaret Thatcher waves to the press at her home, after leaving Cromwell Hospital on November 1, 2010

The day was centred around the Queen’s speech at 2.45, when complete silence was required.

“You couldn’t speak, you couldn’t cough,” writes Bell. “You couldn’t move. You had to get yourself into a reasonably comfortable position because if you shifted once it had started she’d give you a killer death stare.

“She would never actually criticise the Queen, but she would usually make a sarcastic comment at the end — 'Oh dear, she’s going to feel sorry for the poor again.'”

Bell admits that he doesn’t think “anyone enjoyed it as such, particularly the wives”.