Theresa May, Baroness May of Maidenhead, served as prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party from July 2016 to July 2019. She was the Conservative MP for Maidenhead from 1997 until the 2024 general election.

As prime minister, May initiated the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union by triggering Article 50 and led the subsequent negotiations. Her premiership was dominated by the complexities of Brexit.

She is Britain’s second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher, and the first woman to have held two of the great offices of state. She is generally described as a one-nation conservative.

May’s premiership was ultimately defined by her inability to deliver on the 2016 Brexit referendum result. May faced 51 resignations – 33 relating to Brexit. These included 12 departures from the cabinet. This unprecedented number of resignations over less than three years was more than was experienced by Margaret Thatcher (11 years) and Tony Blair (12 years). Other significant events during her time in office included responding to terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, the Grenfell Tower fire and the Windrush scandal.

Before becoming prime minister, May served as home secretary from 2010 to 2016. She was the longest-serving holder of that office in over 60 years.

May announced in March 2024 that she would stand down at the forthcoming general election. She was subsequently appointed to the House of Lords, taking the title Baroness May of Maidenhead in August 2024.

Theresa May: accession as PM and 2017 election

May succeeded David Cameron as prime minister in 2016 following the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU).

May, the home secretary and Remain-supporter, was among the first to put her name forward to succeed Cameron. Launching her campaign, May argued that “Brexit means Brexit” and vowed not to call an election before 2020. The home secretary was not initially seen as the frontrunner, but the shock defenestration of Boris Johnson at the hands of his erstwhile Vote Leave ally, Michael Gove, cleared the field.

May consistently topped the ballots of Conservative MPs. Then her leading rival, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the contest after suggesting that being a mother gave her an advantage over May, who has no children. Leadsom’s withdrawal meant the candidates were not put to a membership vote, and May was confirmed as the new Conservative leader.

On 13 July, May was appointed as the prime minister. She delivered her first speech as prime minister on the steps of Downing Street, which emphasised her commitment to social justice. May said she wanted to lead a government that worked for everyone rather than being “driven by the interests of the privileged few”.

In October 2016, May delivered her first Conservative conference speech as prime minister.  The post-Brexit address, which criticised a perceived global elite, is remembered for May’s declaration: “If you believe you’re a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere.” The remark reflected a broader political strategy to redefine British conservatism in the post-Brexit era as critical of liberal internationalism. It was widely interpreted as a pitch to voters on the right of British politics – including those traditionally to the right of the Conservative Party.

On 17 January 2017, May delivered a landmark address at Lancaster House in London, setting out her “Plan for Britain” and 12 negotiating priorities for Brexit. The speech marked the end of months of speculation and confusion by formally ruling out Britain’s continued membership of the European single market.

The Lancaster House speech was a long-anticipated elucidation of May’s Brexit strategy and negotiating position. The prime minister’s central proposition, which was generally well-received, was her rejection of any “half-in, half-out” arrangement.

On 24 January, the supreme court ruled by a majority of eight to three that because the European Communities Act 1972 had incorporated EU law, only an act of parliament could authorise its removal. Gina Miller, a business owner and transparency campaigner, had brought the case before the high court in 2016, arguing that the executive could not use the royal prerogative to effectively nullify previous acts of parliament relating to European integration. The government, led in court by the attorney general, Jeremy Wright, maintained that the 2016 referendum result represented a clear mandate for the executive to exercise prerogative powers.

On 1 February, the House of Commons voted to grant May the legal authority to begin the UK’s formal withdrawal from the European Union (EU). MPs approved the second reading of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill by 498 votes to 114 – a majority of 384.

The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.

On 29 March, May formally triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, beginning the legal process for the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU.

The notification was delivered in a six-page letter, signed by the prime minister, which was handed to the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, in Brussels by the UK’s permanent representative, Sir Tim Barrow.

May called a snap general election on 18 April, despite previous insistences she would not, with a view to capitalising on the Conservative Party’s large poll lead (as high as 20 points) over Labour. May calculated that an election would see her majority increase, thus strengthening her hand in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The Conservative Party’s hyper-personal, quasi-presidential campaign was widely seen as disastrous. It began with a clear emphasis on the slogan “strong and stable”, but was marred by missteps.

On 18 May, May launched the Conservative Party manifesto for the snap general election, containing a major overhaul of social care funding. The policy, which was quickly dubbed the “dementia tax” by opponents, is widely regarded as an immense political error on the part of the incumbent prime minister.

The Conservative manifesto launch in mid-May, the third week of the election campaign, emphasised a shift away from the politics of austerity. The manifesto, entitled Forward, Together, appeared to reject the laissez-faire policies of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition and featured pledges for greater state involvement. Speaking at the manifesto launch, staged in the Labour-held marginal constituency of Halifax, May vowed to tackle the five “giant challenges” of modern Britain, namely a strong economy, Brexit, healing social divisions, the ageing society, and technological change.

It was the manifesto’s policies to tackle the fourth “challenge” – the ageing society – that caused the greatest controversy. The Conservatives vowed to replace the “triple lock” guarantee for the basic state pension and cut the winter fuel allowance. There was also May’s social care funding plan. The manifesto proposal sought to “align” the funding systems for care at home and residential care. Under the plans for England, the value of an individual’s property would be included in the means test for receiving care in their own home.

The policy, which would hit traditional Tory voters in the south of England hardest, suggested May was confident of victory come polling day. At the time of the manifesto announcement, Labour was reportedly trailing May’s party by 18 points in the polls. The manifesto’s preparation was also secretive, with even cabinet ministers kept in the dark about its contents. The controversial social care funding policy was said to have been inserted at the last minute by May on the advice of Nick Timothy, her co-chief of staff.

Just four days after the manifesto launch, on 22 May, the prime minister was forced into an extraordinary U-turn. During a campaign event, she announced that a proposed green paper on social care would now include an “absolute limit” on care costs. Attempting to downplay the reversal, she famously insisted: “Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed.”

The 2017 general election ultimately produced a hung parliament with the Conservatives as the largest party.

The Tories won 317 seats – a net loss of 13 and nine short of the 326 required for an overall majority. Labour made a net gain of 30 seats to finish on 262. On 26 June, May agreed a “confidence and supply” agreement with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), securing the survival of her minority Conservative government. The DUP had already supported the first queen’s speech of the new parliament on 21 June.

Under the terms of the deal, the DUP agreed to support the government on all motions of confidence and on all supply bills, including the budget and other financial legislation. It further committed to providing support to legislation pertaining to national security and the UK’s exit from the European Union. In return, the government pledged an additional £1 billion of funding for Northern Ireland over two years, to be spent on infrastructure, health and education. Moreover, the DUP secured the symbolic statement that the Conservative Party would “never be neutral in expressing its support” for the Union.

Theresa May: Brexit impasse and resignation (2018-2019)

On 8 January 2018, May attempted a cabinet reshuffle intended to reassert her ailing authority and refresh her frontbench. However, the reshuffle rapidly degenerated into a political farce, with senior ministers stubbornly refusing to move. The day of 8 January 2018 began chaotically when the Conservative Party’s official Twitter (now X) account announced Chris Grayling as the new party chairman. The post was hastily deleted, with Brandon Lewis later announced as Tory chair and “minister without porfolio [sic]”. The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was then called to Downing Street, reportedly to be shifted to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). He refused to accept the new brief and, after a lengthy meeting, successfully negotiated to remain in his post with an expanded remit. After all was said and done, 20 of May’s 29 cabinet attendees held effectively the same portfolio as before.

Significantly, the most senior ‘great offices of state’ remained unchanged. Philip Hammond (chancellor) and Amber Rudd (home secretary) kept their seat at the cabinet table. Boris Johnson stayed on as foreign secretary despite his well-evidenced proclivity for embarrassing gaffes and diplomatic faux pas. In an Evening Standard editorial, published 9 January, former chancellor George Osborne described Theresa May’s botched reshuffle as the “worst in modern history”.

On 14 March, May announced a series of punitive measures against Russia in response to the attempted assassinations of the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, in Salisbury. The announcement followed the expiry of a deadline the prime minister had set for Moscow to provide a credible explanation for the incident. At the time, the Skripals were critically ill in the hospital. In a statement to the House of Commons, May declared that the Russian state was “culpable” for the attack, which was carried out using a Novichok military-grade nerve agent.

On 14 April, four Royal Air Force Tornado jets fired Storm Shadow missiles at a Syrian military facility near Homs, which was believed to be involved in the production of chemical weapons. The action, taken in coordination with the United States and France, was a direct response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma on 7 April, which resulted in civilian casualties. May’s decision to act without a parliamentary vote proved controversial, with opposition parties and some Conservative backbenchers arguing it ignored an emerging constitutional convention established since the 2003 Iraq War.

May delivered a statement to the commons on 16 April. In her statement, May argued that the targeted strikes were “not just morally right but also legally right… to alleviate further humanitarian suffering.” She insisted the action was not “about intervening in a civil war”. Later on 16 April, the government won a symbolic vote on whether the House had sufficiently debated the matter of Syria by 314 to 36 votes – a majority of 278. That division came following an emergency debate forced by the Scottish National Party (SNP).

May’s actions ultimately cast some doubt on the shape of the convention that had developed since 2003. Her decision to pursue military intervention without parliamentary approval appeared to rely on possible exceptions to the convention, allowing for the government to act at speed.

On 6 July, May’s cabinet met at Chequers, the country house of the UK prime minister, to agree May’s Brexit strategy. The plan proposed a “common rulebook for all goods” for goods, the “continued harmonisation” with EU rules, a “joint institutional framework” to interpret UK-EU agreements, and an end to free movement, “giving the UK back control over how many people enter the country”.

Initially, the proposals were not met with public criticism from cabinet ministers. The undramatic deliberations suggested May could well have achieved the impossible: Brexit consensus. Michael Gove, the Brexit-supporting environment secretary, was reportedly among the first to back the scheme during the discussions at Chequers. However, on 8 July, the secretary of state for exiting the European Union, David Davis, resigned from the cabinet. In his resignation letter, Davis told the prime minister he would not be a “reluctant conscript” to the plan agreed at Chequers. He argued that “the current trend of policy and tactics” was making it “look less and less likely” that the UK would leave the customs union and single market.

The following day, 9 July, May suffered her second and most significant cabinet resignation when Boris Johnson, the former London mayor, announced his decision to step down as foreign secretary. Johnson claimed the Chequers plan meant the UK was “heading for a semi-Brexit” that would leave it as a “colony” of the EU.

The resignation of two of the most senior Brexit-supporting ministers threw the political viability of the Chequers plan into doubt. May’s draft withdrawal agreement, unveiled on 14 November 2018, broadly reflected the framework set out in the Chequers scheme.

The 585-page draft withdrawal agreement precipitated four resignations, including those of two serving cabinet ministers, Dominic Raab (Davis’ successor as Brexit secretary) and Esther McVey (work and pensions secretary). Suella Braverman and Shailesh Vara also stepped down as Brexit and Northern Ireland ministers respectively. In his resignation letter, Raab stated that he could “not in good conscience” support the deal. Raab argued that the Northern Ireland backstop presented a “very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.”

May addressed the House on 15 November to defend the draft agreement. She conceded that delivering Brexit means “difficult choices for all of us”, but described calls to “rip-up the UK’s commitment to a backstop” as “entirely irresponsible”.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the vehement eurosceptic and leading figure in the European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs, responded by submitting a letter of no-confidence in the prime minister. On 10 December, facing a catastrophic defeat, May delayed the vote on her Brexit deal. The agreement was originally set to be put before MPs on 11 December 2018; the eleventh-hour decision came after three full days of debate.

On 12 December, Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, announced that he had received at least 48 letters of no confidence – exceeding the threshold of 15%. The confidence vote, held that evening, somewhat stabilised the prime minister’s position. May won by 200 votes to 117 – a majority of 83.

Opposition to May’s Brexit deal centred on the Northern Ireland backstop – the agreement’s proposed solution to the Irish border problem. The mechanism, designed to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland in any Brexit scenario, provided for a UK-wide customs union with the EU, covering all goods (except for fish). The backstop would apply indefinitely, until the UK and EU agreed on a different arrangement. The measure, described by its proponents as an “all-weather insurance policy”, was a safety net in the event that no formal deal could be reached on trade and security arrangements. It avoided a customs border down the Irish Sea – an outcome May insisted that no prime minister “could ever agree”.

Among its opponents were the Democratic Unionist Party, the minority Conservative government’s “confidence and supply” partner. Without DUP votes, the May government – following the 2017 general election – could not command a working majority in the House of Commons.

On 14 January, May returned to the commons to address concerns about the Northern Ireland backstop. The prime minister insisted that she had negotiated further assurances to ensure any backstop would be a “temporary arrangement.” But she ruled out the prospect of “unilateral exit mechanism or a hard time limit to the backstop”.

On 15 January, May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement suffered a catastrophic defeat in the House of Commons, in the first of three so-called “meaningful votes”. The government’s motion was rejected by 432 votes to 202 – the largest defeat for a sitting government in modern parliamentary history. In the Leave camp, former Brexit secretaries Dominic Raab and David Davis were among those who voted against the agreement – as was senior backbencher Graham Brady. Philip Lee, Justine Greening, Dominic Grieve and Sam Gyimah – Conservative MPs who supported a “people’s vote” or second referendum – also rejected the deal.

The DUP also voted against the deal.

The 230-vote margin by which May lost the meaningful vote significantly outstripped the three losses of 166, 161 and 140 votes suffered by the minority Labour government of Ramsay MacDonald in 1924. The only postwar government defeats on a similar scale were by 89 in March 1979 and 86 in January 1978 (both came during Jim Callaghan’s tenure as prime minister).

Speaking after the debate had concluded on 15 January, May began by acknowledging the result, stating: “The House has spoken and the government will listen.”

On 21 January, May set out the government’s “Plan B” proposals. She stated the government’s intention to table a neutral, amendable motion as a “fulfilment of the process following the House’s decision” to reject her withdrawal agreement. The motion would provide a mechanism by which the commons could express a majority in favour of a path forwards.

May promised to be “more flexible, open and inclusive in how we engage Parliament in our approach to negotiating our future partnership with the European Union.”

A second “meaningful vote” on May’s Brexit deal was held in March 2019. MPs again rejected the withdrawal agreement by 391 votes to 242.

On 20 March, May’s government sent a letter to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, asking for an extension of the Article 50 period until 30 June 2019. The EU agreed to an extension until April 2019.

A third meaningful vote on May’s deal was rejected by 344 votes to 286 on 29 March.

In April, May announced she would seek a further extension to the Article 50 process. The UK and EU ultimately agreed to extend Article 50 until 31 October 2019. This extension meant the UK would fight the European Parliament elections.

On 24 May, between polling day and the declaration of results for the 2019 European parliament elections, May announced her intention to resign as prime minister. The immediate trigger for May’s resignation was the backlash to her last-ditch Brexit plan. May’s 10-point “new Brexit deal”, announced on 22 May, included the promise to give MPs a binding vote on a second referendum. Boris Johnson, who supported May’s deal at the third time of asking, said May’s proposed Withdrawal Agreement Bill contravened the 2017 manifesto. “We can and must do better – and deliver what the people voted for”, Johnson said.

In her resignation speech, May conceded that she had failed to convince MPs to pass her Brexit deal.

She stated: “I negotiated the terms of our exit and a new relationship with our closest neighbours that protects jobs, our security and our union. I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal. Sadly, I have not been able to do so.

“I tried three times. I believe it was right to persevere, even when the odds against success seemed high. But it is now clear to me that it is in the best interests of the country for a new prime minister to lead that effort.”

May concluded her resignation speech by saying that serving as the prime minister had been the “honour of my life”.

On 26 May, the results of the European Parliament elections were announced – some days after voting took place. The outcome confirmed the parlous position of the Conservative Party. The Tories suffered their worst national election result since 1832, finishing in fifth place with just 9.1% of the vote and four MEPs (down 15). The Labour Party also performed poorly, coming third with 14.1% and 10 seats (down 10).

On 24 July, Boris Johnson became prime minister of the United Kingdom, following his decisive victory in the Conservative Party leadership contest triggered by May’s resignation.

Theresa May: post-premiership career (2019 to present)

After leaving Downing Street, May remained the MP for Maidenhead until the 2024 general election, having been re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 18,846. She was an active backbencher, frequently contributing to debates.

May occasionally voiced criticism of her successors on issues including the handling of the Northern Ireland Protocol, cuts to foreign aid and aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic response. She also commented on the importance of political integrity and warned against rising populism.

Since leaving the commons, Baroness May has undertaken numerous paid speaking engagements. She published a book titled The Abuse of Power: Confronting Injustice in Public Life in Autumn 2023.

Baroness May also chairs the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, continuing her long-standing interest in the issue, reflected in the Modern Slavery Act introduced during her time as home secretary. She also serves as an ambassador for the type 1 diabetes charity Breakthrough T1D UK.

At the 2024 general election, the Maidenhead constituency she vacated was won by the Liberal Democrat candidate, Joshua Reynolds, with a majority of 2,963 over the Conservative candidate.

Theresa May’s rise to prominence (1997-2016)

May was elected MP for the safe Conservative seat of Maidenhead in Berkshire at the 1997 general election, winning with a majority of 11,981 against the backdrop of a national Labour landslide.

She delivered her maiden speech 2 June 1997 during a debate on education and spoke passionately about her constituency, including its schools. She said: “Maidenhead is blessed with good schools in both the state sector and the private sector. I hope that we all agree that the aim is to provide the right education for every child. For some children, that will be an education that is firmly based in learning practical and vocational skills. For others, it will be an education based on academic excellence.”

May quickly joined the opposition front bench, becoming shadow spokesperson for schools, disabled people from July 1998 to June 1999, and for women from June 1999 to September 2001. She then became the first of the Conservative MPs elected in 1997 to enter William Hague’s shadow cabinet, doing so as shadow education secretary in June 1999 (serving until September 2001).

Under Iain Duncan-Smith, May was made shadow secretary of state for transport from September 2001 to December 2002.

May was appointed as the first female chair of the Conservative Party in July 2002 by Iain Duncan Smith.

Upon her appointment, May commented: “I believe that the Conservative party is changing and my appointment as the first woman chairman symbolises that change… The Conservative party is an open, decent and tolerant party committed to reforming public services and we need to get that message out across the country to people.”

On 7 October 2002, May employed the term “nasty party” to describe the public perception of the Conservatives. The speech, delivered to the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, encapsulated the ‘moderniser’ critique of the Tory message and public image in the early 2000s.

May said: “There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us – the nasty party.”

She added: “I know that’s unfair. You know that’s unfair but it’s the people out there we need to convince – and we can only do that by avoiding behaviour and attitudes that play into the hands of our opponents. No more glib moralising, no more hypocritical finger-wagging.

“We need to reach out to all areas of our society.”

The speech sparked a political row. Lord Tebbit, former party chairman and Thatcherite enforcer, accused May of speaking “in the language of our opponents”. Tebbit said Labour MPs would be awaiting the return of the commons in order to “constantly tell Conservatives they’re nasty and that even their own party calls them nasty”.

May’s 2002 address has been seen as a milestone in the party’s long road back to power, delivered at a nadir in Tory fortunes after a second consecutive general election defeat.

May co-founded Women2Win in 2005, a mentoring and advocacy group aimed at increasing the number of Conservative women MPs. At the time of its founding, there were 17 female Conservative MPs (around 9% of the parliamentary party). After the 2019 election, this had risen to 87 (around 24%).

In November 2003, after Michael Howard’s election as Conservative leader, May was appointed shadow secretary of state for transport and the environment. In June 2004, she was moved to become shadow secretary of state for the family. Following the May 2005 general election she was also made shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

David Cameron made appointed May as shadow leader of the House of Commons in December 2005 and then shadow secretary of state for work and pensions in January 2009.

Following the 2010 general election, May was appointed home secretary in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, also serving as minister for women and equalities until October 2012. As home secretary until July 2016, she oversaw police reform, adopted a firm stance on law and order, implemented policies aiming to reduce net migration (termed the “hostile environment” strategy), and introduced the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Political Views

Theresa May is generally identified as a one nation conservative. Upon becoming prime minister in 2016, she spoke of tackling “burning injustices” and supporting those “just about managing” (JAMs). She has described her approach as pragmatic rather than ideological.

After becoming leader of the Conservative party, she said: “(It is) nothing less than the patriotic duty of our party to unite and to govern in the best interests of the whole country. We need a bold, new positive vision for the future of our country – a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us.”

In February 2013, May was one of the 131 Conservative MPs to vote in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

A key policy focus throughout her senior political career has been tackling modern slavery and human trafficking, leading to the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 during her time as home secretary.

May supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore agreed with a majority of constituents, 55% of whom also voted to Remain.

In February 2017, May voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

May voted in favour of a government motion calling for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent system in July 2016. The motion, which was passed by 472 votes to 117, committed the UK to constructing a new fleet of submarines to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons.

May voted in favour of a government motion to extend UK airstrikes against Isis from Iraq into Syria in December 2015. The motion, which was passed by 397 votes to 223 after a 10-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

May voted in favour of the government’s motion on the principle of military intervention in Syria in August 2013. The government motion was defeated by 285 votes to 272, a move which effectively ruled out UK participation in any US-led military strikes.

In March 2003, May voted in favour of the government motion authorising military action against Iraq. The vote, one of the most contentious in recent parliamentary history, gave the prime minister, Tony Blair, the authority to join the US-led invasion.

Before politics

Born Theresa Mary Brasier on 1 October 1956 in Eastbourne, Sussex, she was the only child of Rev Hubert Brasier, an Anglican vicar, and his wife Zaidee. She grew up primarily in Oxfordshire.

She attended both state and private schools before studying geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, graduating in 1977.

Her early career was in finance, working at the Bank of England from 1977 to 1983, and then at the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) from 1985 to 1997, where she became head of the European Affairs Unit and later senior adviser on international affairs.

May served as a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994.

Personal Life

Theresa May married Philip May in 1980. They met while studying at Oxford University. Philip May received a knighthood in the 2019 Dissolution Honours. The couple do not have children.

Baroness May was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2013. She manages the condition with insulin injections and has spoken publicly about living with diabetes, serving as an ambassador for Breakthrough T1D UK.

Trivia

A fashion icon?

May was posited as a fashion conscious politician. As prime minister, May sparked a PR disaster known as ‘Trousergate’ for wearing a £995 pair of designer trousers.

At the time, former education secretary Nicky Morgan commented: “I don’t think I’ve ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress”.

The media also regularly remarked on May’s varied shoe selection.

A fan of Switzerland

Theresa and Philip May regularly visit Switzerland. They take summer holidays in the car-free Swiss mountain resort of Zermatt and engage in mountain walks in the Trift Valley and underneath the Matterhorn.

A love of cricket

May is a big fan of cricket, and regularly attends matches.

In the honours lists that were issued during her time as prime minister, a number of leading cricketers received knighthoods, including Andrew Straus, Alistair Cook and Geoffrey Boycott.