Norma Major 1783408 221984985 2008-06-27T00:20:07Z Dreaded Walrus 1715206 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/86.112.218.7|86.112.218.7]] ([[User talk:86.112.218.7|talk]]) to last version by 6afraidof7 {{unreferenced|date=April 2008}} {{Infobox Person | name = Norma Major | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Norma Wagstaff | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|02|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | residence = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = [[Spouses of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom|Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] | education = [[London South Bank University]] | employer = | occupation = | title = | salary = | networth = | height = | weight = | term = [[28 November]] [[1990]] - [[2 May]] [[1997]] | predecessor = [[Denis Thatcher]] | successor = [[Cherie Blair]] | party = | boards = | religion = | spouse = [[John Major]] | partner = | children = [[James Major]]<br />Elizabeth Major | parents = | relatives = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Dame Norma Major, Lady Major''', [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire|DBE]] (née Wagstaff, previously Johnson; born [[12 February]] [[1942]]) is the wife of [[John Major|Sir John Major]], the former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]]. She is known as '''Dame Norma Major'''. She is the daughter of the late Norman Wagstaff and the late Edith Johnson, and was born Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff. She was born in Shropshire while her father was stationed there. He was killed in a motorcycle accident a few days after the end of [[World War II]] and her mother subsequently changed the family name back to her maiden name, so that she was called '''Norma Johnson''' as she was growing up. She was educated at a boarding school in [[Bexhill-on-Sea]], [[Oakfield School|Oakfield Preparatory School]] in [[Dulwich]], and Peckham School for Girls where she was Head Girl. She was a skilled dressmaker and trained as a teacher, working at St Michael and All Angels Church of England School, [[Camberwell]]. It was at a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] meeting during the campaign for the [[Greater London Council Election, 1970|1970 Greater London Council elections]] that she was introduced to John Major by Peter Golds, a party agent who knew both. After a brief courtship, they were married on [[3 October]] [[1970]]. The Majors have a son, [[James Major]], and a daughter, Elizabeth Major. She kept a low profile during her time as wife to the Prime Minister, doing charity work and writing two books, ''[[Chequers]]: The Prime Minister's Country House and its History'' (1997) and ''[[Joan Sutherland]]: The Authorised Biography'' (1994). She was in 1993 the subject of an unauthorised but well-regarded biography ''Norma - A Biography'' by the Daily Telegraph journalist Tim Walker. She was created a [[Dame of the British Empire|Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (DBE) in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, in recognition of her charity work. ===Titles from birth=== Major's styles since her birth in chronological order are: *Miss Norma Wagstaff (1942–45) *Miss Norma Johnson (1945–70) *Mrs John Major (1970–99) *Dame Norma Major, DBE (1999–2005) *Norma, Lady Major, DBE (2005 onwards) — note that Lady Major prefers to use the style "Dame Norma Major" as she acquired the distinction in her own right. {{start}} {{s-hon}} {{s-bef|before=[[Denis Thatcher|Sir Denis Thatcher]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Spouses of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom|Spouse of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]|years=1990&ndash;1997}} {{s-aft|after=[[Cherie Blair]]}} {{end}} {{Lifetime|1942||Major, Norma}} [[Category:Alumni of London South Bank University]] [[Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Spouses of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom]]