[1/2] FILE PHOTO-British Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd looks on during her visit to State Duma lower house of parliament October 14.
LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Betty Boothroyd, the trailblazing first female Speaker in Britain's House of Commons, has died aged 93, drawing tributes from across parliament for her distinctive, firm-but-fair style honed over a five-decade political career.
She remains the only woman to serve as Speaker in the House of Commons.
After retiring from the House of Commons in 2000, she was made a member of parliament's House of Lords upper chamber where she continued to contribute to political debate into her nineties.
Tributes to Boothroyd poured in from across the political divide, hailing her formidable parliamentary presence and her personal warmth.