David Attenborough and Paul McCartney rejected by Denis Thatcher for Downing Street party

The PM's husband put a question mark next to the TV presenter's name to show his disapproval

Margaret Thatcher and husband Denis pose outside Number 10 after their election victory in June 1987. (PA)

Margaret Thatcher's husband Denis rejected David Attenborough and Paul McCartney as guests for a celebrity reception, according to newly released documents.

The businessman also questioned the inclusion of Sebastian Coe, Shirley Bassey and magician Paul Daniels on the list of people to be invited to the party in April 1988.

He instead preferred to meet the likes of Rolf Harris, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Nick Faldo.

The reception was originally planned by No 10 as a thank you to the 45 celebrities who attended the Conservative's rally at Wembley during the 1987 general election campaign.

Mrs Thatcher decided more guests were needed and a longer list of "a possible 229 without spouses" was drawn up, including suggestions from her then-political secretary John Whittingdale, who went on to be appointed culture secretary by David Cameron in 2015.

The celebrity guest list, which will become publicly available from Monday, reveals that Denis Thatcher went through it with a red pen to show his approval or disapproval.

In a note to the Private Office, he wrote: "Whilst I accept of course that not everyone who comes to our receptions are necessarily on 'our' side I find it both unpleasant and embarrassing to entertain those who publicly insult the PM.

"This list therefore needs some careful checking in this regard."

He marked ticks against those he "would personally like to see included" and question marks beside "those who, I believe, do not help".

Mr Thatcher explained that more than one red tick "means super person and a known friend and wonderful to have them here".

His favourite was comedian Eric Sykes, who got four ticks. There were also ticks for Rolf Harris, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Dame Judi Dench, Ronnie Corbett and golfers Tony Jacklin and Nick Faldo, among others.

Question marks were placed beside names including Paul McCartney, David Attenborough, Sebastian Coe, Shirley Bassey and magician Paul Daniels.

The names of other artists, actors and athletes such as Tommy Steele, Daley Thompson, John Barnes and Julian Fellowes, received no markings at all.

Chris Collins, of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation, said it was "unusual" for Denis Thatcher to involve himself to such lengths.

"The special coded system of question marks and ticks and crosses, that's actually slightly unusual," said Mr Collins.

"I think perhaps he was in a somewhat irritable frame of mind. Certainly the steam is coming out of his ears at various points in 1988 and this party he jumps on."

Mr Collins suggested that Denis Thatcher was particularly annoyed by a BBC Radio 4 Today programme titled "Thatcherism: The Final Solution". After it was aired in January 1988, Mr Thatcher wrote that never has "so foul a libel been published against anyone let alone a Prime Minister".

In the end the longer guest list was dropped in favour of the original 45 plus the parliamentary skiing team and the British Winter Olympics squad.

Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, who competed in the ski jump at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, in February 1988, does not appear on the list.

He said he was invited to the reception but could not attend due to a clash with a charity event.

The Margaret Thatcher Foundation is gradually overseeing the release of her private files through the Churchill Archive Centre in Cambridge.

Members of the public will be able to browse the archive from Monday by visiting www.margaretthatcher.org

Press Association