Theresa May was tonight appointed the UK's second female Prime Minister in a private audience with the Queen.
She met with the sovereign after David Cameron officially tendered his resignation following an emotional final farewell on the steps on Number 10.
Mrs May's elevation to the country's most senior political role, at the age of 59, completes a whirlwind rise that was triggered by the unexpected referendum vote for Brexit on June 23 which brought down her predecessor.
She is the first female PM since Margaret Thatcher stood down in 1990.
Mrs May "kissed hands" with the monarch in a simple procedure at Buckingham Palace which made her the 13th holder of the post of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury during Elizabeth II's reign.
A statement issued by the Palace read: "The Queen received in audience the Right Honourable Theresa May MP this evening and requested her to form a new Administration.
"The Right Honourable Theresa May accepted Her Majesty's offer and Kissed Hands upon her appointed as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury."
After the short meeting, Mrs May travelled by car to Downing Street where she made her first speech as PM, telling crowds of reporters and photographers she would build a country that works not just for the "privileged few".
In a direct message to voters, she said: "I know you are working around the clock, I know you are doing your best and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle.
"The Government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives."
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