Editing Mark Thatcher (section)

==Early life==
Thatcher and his twin sister, [[Carol Thatcher|Carol]], were born six weeks prematurely by [[caesarean section]] on 15 August 1953 at [[Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital]] in [[Hammersmith]], [[London]], the same year that their mother qualified as a [[barrister]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NqqZxj5EYUkC&pg=PA26 |title=The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher: From Grocer's Daughter to Iron Lady|last=Campbell|first=John|date=2012-01-05|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-4481-3067-2|language=en}}</ref>  Their early years were spent in [[Chelsea, London]].<ref name=Iwish>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9982157/Margaret-Thatcher-Yes-I-wish-I-saw-more-of-my-children.-But-I-cant-regret.html|title=Margaret Thatcher: 'Yes, I wish I saw more of my children. But I can't regret|work=The Telegraph|date=9 April 2013|first=Judith|last=Woods}}</ref> Their mother was narrowly defeated in her bid to become the Conservative Party candidate in the [[1955 Orpington by-election]]. She was first elected to Parliament at the [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959 general election]]. The children, aged six at the time, featured in her first television interview.<ref name=Iwish/> His sister observed: "All my childhood memories of my mother were just someone who was superwoman before the phrase had been invented. She was always flat out, she never relaxed, household chores were done at breakneck speed in order to get back to the parliamentary correspondence or get on with making up a speech."<ref name=Iwish/>

Mark was sent to board at [[Mill Hill School|Belmont School]] at the age of eight and then to [[Harrow School]], which he left in 1971 having passed three [[O Level]] exams.<ref name=Iwish/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/101158|title=The busy M.P., wife and mother keeps time in hand for those emergencies|date=26 October 1962|work=Finchley Press|via=Margaret Thatcher Foundation}}</ref>  He went on to study accountancy but failed his accountancy exams with [[Touche Ross]] on three occasions.<ref name="profile"/>

Having taken various short-term jobs Thatcher moved to [[Hong Kong]], where he built up a network of business connections, particularly in the Middle East and in motor racing. In 1977 he set up Mark Thatcher Racing, which ran into financial difficulties.<ref name="profile"/>