Former Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth has recalled taking Baroness Thatcher to Ascot and her delight, despite her Methodist upbringing, at winning money on the horses.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, who often helped Lady Thatcher in her later years when she attended the House of Lords, said Lady Thatcher had come with £5 for each of six races and, to her displeasure, lost her bet on the first race.

He said he told a racing expert sitting next to her that if he did not improve his tips he would "go the same way as Michael Heseltine".

Lord Forsyth told the House of Lords on a day when tributes were paid in both Houses of Commons: "That's quite right, she said, and she won every single subsequent race. She had all this money and she said: 'I'm not sure the Methodists were right about this gambling.'

"She was so pleased she stood on the balcony and joined in the singing of 'Roll out the barrel'. I thought, if only people could see the real Margaret Thatcher and not the Margaret Thatcher who has been painted as an image."

Lord Forsyth said helping her in the Lords at one point become "something of a burden".

"I found that trying to keep going with my job and being here to look after Margaret was quite difficult," he said.

He tried to tackle the issue by telling her of the "great service" she had provided to the country and said she no longer needed to come as often.

"She turned to me and said 'Michael, when we accepted appointment to this place it was our duty to be here and attend - how many times have you been in here in the last two years?'"

He said it showed her "love and devotion" for Parliament and that, contrary to the view she was frightened of nothing, she was actually "quite scared" of the House of Commons.

"I can remember seeing her knees knocking when she was making speeches," he said.

He said that as chairman of the Conservative young students he had helped to campaign for her when she was standing for the leadership.

But he said the campaign material had been aimed at students and one of the stickers had been stuck on the door of the chairman of the party.

"There was a quite almighty row because the slogan was 'Put a woman on top for a change'. I thought she would never speak to me again but typically she pretended not to understand the double entendre."

Lord Forsyth also recalled her being invited to 10 Downing Street when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister for an unveiling of a portrait.

Mr Brown pointed out that there were only oil paintings in Number 10 of Walpole, Wellington and Churchill. He then went on to say it was "entirely appropriate" that "given what you have done for the country" there was also one of her.

Lord Forsyth said: "I was astonished by that, but then I thought, actually, in politics it is possible to recognise freedoms and achievements while still disagreeing and I think he deserves considerable credit for that."