La Défense, as everyone knows (well, at least Parisians), is the capital's business district. An aggregate of communes (11 in all) bringing together numerous companies, head offices, a ministry (that of the Ecological Transition), a shopping mall, leisure activities and a whole host of other things, making this district rather lively.
A district that has also seen a number of public figures pass through... Keanu Reeves, for example, filmed in Paris, but especially in La Défense, for John Wick. But the person we're interested in here isn't an actor or an artist. It's none other than Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister between 1979 and 1990.
What happened to Margaret Thatcher in 1989 at La Défense? It's a pretty funny story, and should put a smile on your face, if nothing else. During the G7, held from July 14 to 16, the British head of state was invited to meet her counterparts. And on her way to the toilet, she got stuck, due to a door handle that had given way, forcing her bodyguards to break down the door. At least, that's what an official present at the time explains.
A rather unusual anecdote which will at least help you to shine at a future dinner party and, who knows, amuse your guests. So if you're going to the toilet at La Défense, be careful when you close the door...
