However, what happened over the next few days shocked the country no less than the outcome of the referendum.
After the failure of the "remainers" (from the English "remain" - to remain), to the camp of which the then prime minister belonged David Cameron He immediately announced his decision to resign. “I fought against leaving the EU with all my might, but the British chose a different path. So they need a new prime minister,” Cameron explained his decision. And so it happened: in early July, Britain received a new prime minister. But they turned out to be not at all Boris Johnson, who was predicted for this post for several years.
Unexpectedly for many, the 59-year-old became the head of the cabinet of ministers Theresa May, who at that time had trumpeted for 6 whole years in the position of Minister of the Interior - an unprecedented term for England. July 13, 2016 Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II approved Teresa as prime minister and asked her to start forming a new government. Theresa May became the second woman in British history (after Margaret Thatcher) to take the post of prime minister, and the first to take the country out of the European Union (although some cherish the hope that the latter will not happen after all).
Comparisons with the first female prime minister Teresa could not be avoided. And is it worth avoiding such flattering parallels? May is called the second "iron lady", the same "steel hand in a velvet glove", which was previously attributed to Thatcher. But who is she really? And how was the character of the new prime minister formed?
Biography of Theresa May
Teresa's childhood
Theresa Mary May was born Theresa Mary Brasier on October 1, 1956 in the seaside town of Eastbourne on the south coast of Great Britain. Later, Teresa's family moved to Oxfordshire. Her parents belonged to the middle class: her father, Rev Hubert Brasier, was an Anglican vicar, and her mother, Zaidee Mary Brasier, was a housewife.
Young Teresa received a classical English upbringing: she studied at a Catholic girls' school at the monastery, and after - at a comprehensive school in the village of Wheatley. The girl willingly participated in the performances that her father staged, and on Saturdays she worked in a bakery in order to earn pocket money.
Studying in college
In 1974, after leaving school, Teresa, like Margaret Thatcher, went to Oxford, V St. Hughes College(St Hugh "s College), where she studied geography. In the third year of study, Teresa met her future husband Philip who was then President Oxford Union– platforms for communication of like-minded people and an “incubator” for future political leaders.
Teresa's university friend Pat Frankland recalls that even then she was full of ambition: "I remember very well how Teresa dreamed of becoming the first woman prime minister and was extremely annoyed that this title went to Margaret Thatcher." But still, May can hardly be called a complete bore and a hardened careerist: both Frankland and other fellow students of Theresa note that although student drinking passed by this young lady, she nevertheless knew how to have fun and led quite an active social life.
Carier start
After graduating from university, Teresa began her career at the London City: first she got a job as a financial consultant at the Bank of England, and later she headed the European affairs department at the Association of Interbank Settlement Systems.
In 1980, four years after they met, Teresa and Philip got married. After the wedding, a series of tragic events begins in the life of the future prime minister: in 1981, Teresa's father dies in a car accident, and a few months later, her mother dies of multiple sclerosis. The death of her parents becomes a difficult test for Teresa, but she finds the strength to cope with grief.
First steps in politics
Despite a successful career in the City, all this time Teresa did not leave the feeling that her true calling was politics. In 1986, she was elected to the position local council member in the borough of Merton in south London, later becoming deputy head of the council. After serving a total of over six years in local government, Teresa prepared to move on to the political path.
In 1992, Mrs. May ran for the first time in Parliament for Durham County, but this first attempt, alas, was not successful. Five years later she was elected member of the House of Commons from Maidenhead County and joined the opposition team of William Haig. This turning point marked the beginning of Theresa May's dizzying rise to become the head of the British government.
In 1999, she became part of the so-called shadow cabinet ministers appointed by opposition leaders as a shadow education minister. And three years later, she becomes the first female chairman of the Conservative Party.
Further, Theresa May's career developed more than rapidly: in 2003, she was appointed to the post of shadow minister of transport and takes the oath to the Privy Council, becoming Her Majesty's consultant. And a year later, in June 2004, Mrs. May becomes the shadow minister of culture, media and sports.
In December 2005, David Cameron, then leader of the Conservative Party, appoints Teresa as shadow leader of the House of Commons. And in January 2009, May received a new position - the shadow minister of labor and pensions.
Theresa May is the new British Prime Minister
In May 2010, Theresa May is re-elected to a second term as Member of Parliament for Maidenhead by a majority vote. Following his own re-election to Parliament, David Cameron, who by that time had become Prime Minister of Great Britain, announces the appointment of Teresa to the post Minister of the Interior.
You can consider Teresa a boring politician, outwardly cold and constrained, but we must give her her due: before her appointment as prime minister, she managed to head the Ministry of Internal Affairs for whole six years old- a record term for the UK - and never during this time she was caught in a single scandal.
What they say about Theresa May
Colleagues and partners speak of Mei as an honest, insightful and sober politician who is able to make informed decisions. Teresa does not play in public and always keeps a reasonable distance with everyone. As chairman of the Conservative Party, she refused her honorary membership in the Carlton Club, England's oldest private Tory club. She is an uncompromising feminist and boldly poses in a T-shirt that flaunts the inscription: "This is what a real feminist looks like."
In 2006, together with Baroness Ann Jenkin, Theresa May founded the Women2Win Association, which aims to increase the number of Conservative women in Parliament. And in 2010, simultaneously with her appointment as Minister of the Interior, Teresa was appointed Minister for Women and Equality.
Acquaintances and friends note the constant and unlimited support that Teresa is given by her husband. Some draw a parallel with Margaret Thatcher's husband, Denis Thatcher. Like Denis, Philip always remains in the shadow of his wife while she rules the country. Unfortunately, the couple does not have children - and, perhaps because this topic is so painful for Teresa, she never comments on it in an interview.
1. Teresa was introduced to her future husband by her classmate at a meeting of the student Conservative Association in 1976. The classmate's name was Benaziir Bhutto - and it was she who later became the first female prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
2. Mrs May prophesies the people of the UK "a positive future in a country that works not for a handful of privileged people, but for everyone." She promised to fight social inequality and cut taxes.
3. In her spare time from political activities, Teresa enjoys cooking: she has a collection of more than 100 cookbooks at home. In addition, the current Prime Minister enjoys long walks.
4. Teresa's true passion is bright and stylish shoes. Moreover, her choice of shoes is sometimes so extraordinary that some consider it inappropriate for a woman of such a high position.
5. Teresa was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013. This means that she needs life-saving insulin injections twice a day throughout her life. However, according to the assurances of the "iron lady" herself, this procedure has already become so much a habit that it will not affect her political activity in any way.
Theresa May is a famous British politician. From 2010 to 2012, she led the Ministerial Portfolio for Women (for Equality) in the government of David Cameron, subsequently serving as Home Secretary (2010-2016). In the summer of 2016, she headed the UK government, replacing Cameron as prime minister.The Early Years of Theresa May. Education and work
Teresa was born in 1956 in Eastbourne, UK. Her father was a village vicar who died in a car accident just as Teresa graduated from university. Soon after his death, Mei lost her mother, who could not survive the loss of her husband. After some time, the girl found out that she would never be able to have children. 
A series of tragedies tempered Teresa's character, making him persistent and strong-willed. She used to rely on herself in everything, to be guided by common sense, while not violating the moral standards laid down for her in a strict patriarchal Protestant family.
Theresa May received her primary education in a public school, then in a private school. Teresa successfully graduated from Oxford University with a bachelor's degree in geography. Then the girl worked at the Bank of England and the clearing company APACS.
The beginning of Theresa May's political career
From 1984 to 1992, May was a member of local government, then she ran for Parliament from the constituency of North West Durham, took part in the 1994 early elections from Barking County. But, alas, all these attempts failed. The first success in politics Theresa May was waiting in 1997 - she entered the British House of Commons. 
Until 2002, May built a career in the Tory government, remaining in the background. "The gray eminence of the conservatives" - such an opinion has developed about her among the people.
In 2002, Teresa was elected to the post of chairman of the Conservative Party. She became the first woman to oversee technical matters and tory supply.
From 2003 to 2005, she served as Shadow Minister for Transport, Food and the Environment, from 2005 - Shadow Minister for Culture and served as Acting Leader of the House of Commons. In 2009, another appointment followed - the Minister of Labor and Social Security.
Political beliefs of Theresa May
As a member of the House of Commons, Theresa May voted:- for the invasion of British troops in Iraq;
- against the integration of Britain with the EU;
- against smoking bans in public places;
- against the ratification of laws to combat climate problems;
- against giving gay couples the right to adopt children, but for legalizing their marriages;
- has always spoken out harshly against the flow of emigrants.
After the victory of the Conservatives in the 2010 parliamentary elections, Teresa headed the Ministry of the Interior, retaining her position as Minister for Women's Equality. True, initially a woman politician counted on the post of Minister of Labor, since she oversaw such cases in the shadow government. However, this briefcase went to Ian Duncan Smith.
According to British publications, being the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mei successfully coped with the elimination of riots on the streets.
Theresa May as Home Secretary
In 2016, a nationwide referendum was held in the UK, the results of which determined whether the country would remain in the European Union. At that time, Teresa supported the current Prime Minister Cameron, and opposed the so-called "Brexit".
The Eurosceptics won the referendum, and David Cameron submitted his resignation, after which Theresa May put forward her candidacy for the post of head of the Conservatives, and, consequently, for the post of Prime Minister of Britain.
On July 5, 2016, the first round of elections for the leader of the Conservative Party took place, in which the woman was among the favorites, receiving 165 votes. On July 7 of the same year, the final race took place, in which Mei gained 199 votes. Another woman, Andrea Ledsom, who heads the post of deputy minister for energy, claimed the post, but scored only 84 votes.
Thus, May became a clear contender for the post of Prime Minister of Great Britain. On July 11, 2016, her rival withdrew her candidacy. Theresa May has been declared the leader of the Conservatives. On July 13, David Cameron handed over to her the powers of the Prime Minister of Great Britain. In her first speech in office, Theresa May said: "Brexit means Brexit", thereby agreeing with the will of the people expressed in the referendum.
Theresa May's first speech as British Prime Minister
Theresa May's personal life
The woman got married in 1980. Her husband is Philip John May, an employee of the trust company Capital Group Companies. The couple has no children.LONDON, 13 July. /Corr. TASS Ilya Dmitryachev, Maxim Ryzhkov/. The leader of the Conservative Party, Theresa May, has officially been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain. She was elevated to this position by royal decree after an audience with Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
May is the 13th head of government during the reign of the current monarch.
May arrived at the meeting with Elizabeth II in a BMW serving the Minister of the Interior, accompanied by her husband Philip, wearing a black dress with yellow accents at the bottom. Leaving the palace, the May couple got into the premier's Jaguar.
Meanwhile, there are no more tourists in the square near Buckingham Palace than usual. And although some of them managed to photograph the new prime minister's motorcade entering the palace, many people who were near the palace fence did not know who was sitting in the car. They learned about the ongoing procedure for changing the head of government from a TASS correspondent.
"Now you will definitely have something to tell your friends," said Jamaican tourist Steve Bosman.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace released a photo of the ceremony, called the kissing of the monarch's hand, although in fact the new prime minister does not kiss the hand, but only shakes it. The Queen in the picture appeared in a light dress with a black bag in her left hand.
Changes on the Olympus of executive power have already been reflected on the Internet. So, David Cameron changed the design of his page on the Twitter microblogging network, where he calls himself a former prime minister and member of the House of Commons from the Whitney constituency.
First Address to the Nation
Theresa May called for the unity of the nation. She stated this in her first televised address as head of government.
"We believe in a union not only between the peoples of the United Kingdom, but also between all of our inhabitants, between each of us, wherever we come from. This means fighting against sore injustice," May said.
May particularly focused on the need to fight social injustice, promising that it will be one of the main ones during her premiership. “The mission of making the UK a place for everyone means more than fighting all this injustice. The government I lead will be guided not only by the interests of a privileged few, but also by your interests. We will do our best to provide you with more control over their own lives (destinies)," the new prime minister assured.
May also touched on the topic of the upcoming UK exit from the EU. In a referendum on June 23, 51.9% of the subjects of the Kingdom voted for breaking off relations with Brussels. “We are at an important historical moment for our country. After the referendum, we will go through a time of tremendous national change, and I know that this is how we, the UK, will rise to the challenge,” May said.
May herself opposed leaving the community of 28 states, but following the results of the plebiscite, she repeated more than once that she would fulfill the will of the British and that "Brexit means Brexit." At the same time, the new prime minister is confident that the UK can become even stronger after breaking off relations with Brussels. “Given that we are leaving the EU, we will achieve a new, important and positive role for ourselves in the world,” said the new head of the cabinet of ministers.
Congratulations from the White House
The US authorities congratulated the leader of the Conservative Party on his appointment to the post. This was stated at a regular briefing for journalists by White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest.
"We congratulate her on her new position, in which she will take on important responsibilities," he said.
Ernest reiterated the words of US President Barack Obama that Washington expects "friendly talks" from London and Brussels on the kingdom's exit from the EU. The spokeswoman said that, based on the new prime minister's statements, she "intends to continue a policy that is consistent with Obama's recommendations."
President of the European Commission (EC) Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated Theresa May on her appointment as Prime Minister of Great Britain. He posted the corresponding message on his page on the Twitter microblogging network.
"Please accept my warmest congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," he said. At the same time, Juncker urged May to begin negotiations on the UK's exit from the European Union as soon as possible. "The result of the UK referendum has created a new situation that the UK and the EU should start sorting out soon," the EC President said.
Changes in the British government
On July 13, Cameron, who had been Prime Minister of Great Britain since 2010, resigned. He took the decision to resign after a referendum on UK membership in the European Union, held on June 23.
Cameron was in office for a little over 6 years, or 2,256 days to be exact.
In his first term as prime minister (2010-2015), he led a coalition government of Tories and Liberal Democrats, and after a landslide victory for the Conservatives in last year's parliamentary elections, he led a one-party Tory cabinet.
Even on vacation I keep an eye on things in the United Kingdom, after all, too radical changes can happen. Therefore, I’m interested in how Theresa May met with Nicola Sturgeon (the leader of Scotland), what they agreed on and what they didn’t agree on, is it good or bad that most positions in May’s cabinet will be occupied by graduates of public schools, and not, as usual, graduates of Eton and privileged private schools, and how the clown Boris Johnson will behave as foreign secretary.
But, of course, the personality of Theresa May herself is of most interest. All I knew about her before Brexit was that she was the home secretary, and it was she who brought Kitten Hill shoes back into fashion.
Former prime minister and current prime minister
Theresa May (nee Brazier) is 59 years old and the daughter of a vicar. Both her grandmothers worked as servants. Teresa studied at a public school, graduated from the Faculty of Geography at Oxford. Teresa's father died in a car accident when Teresa was 25 years old, her mother did not survive her father for long, and never recovered from her husband's death. Teresa soon learned that she would never be able to have children. Troubles hardened her character, she achieved everything in her life herself. Climbing the political Olympus was not easy for Theresa May. According to a friend, she always dreamed of becoming the first woman prime minister (she was even upset that Margaret Thatcher was ahead of her), and she became prime minister, albeit not the first.
Teresa met her future husband, Philip, in 1976 at the Oxford Union debating club. The couple is said to have been introduced at a Conservative Party dance party by future Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Teresa and Philip married in 1980.
Teresa with her parents
Teresa began her political career in the City of London, where she first worked at the Bank of England and then headed the European department of the Association of Interbank Settlement Systems. Then she became a member of the local council of the Merton area in south London, grew up to the deputy head of the council and went higher to the national level. At that time, the Conservative Party was unpopular, and May was defeated in the elections in Durham, but she was elected in Maidenhead, in Barkshire (she still represents this constituency).
In 1999, Theresa May entered the shadow cabinet. She was not close to Michael Howard, nor later to the so-called Nottinghill Group of David Cameron and George Osborne, so at first she was trusted only in small posts, but gradually, seeing her acumen and performance, she began to be trusted with larger posts. In 2009, she was already the shadow minister of labor and pensions. And in 2010, she became Minister of the Interior. For many, this came as a surprise. But the option for the government was a win-win. Few of "their-" were eager for this post, it was considered a "graveyard" of political careers. But, as it turned out, not for Theresa May.
She thoroughly studied the work of her department, appointed deputies with whom she had complete mutual understanding, and was not afraid to conflict with other ministers. It became impossible to remove her from office, voters liked her tough statements.
The crime rate in the country has fallen, since 2010 there has not been a single large-scale terrorist attack in the UK, and Theresa May managed to deport the radical preacher Abu Qatada from the country. But during May's leadership, chaos broke out in the passport department. May has also been under constant criticism for her agency's failure to bring immigration levels down to 100,000 a year, as promised by the government ahead of the election. In addition, there was a public skirmish between Theresa May and Minister Michael Gove over how best to deal with Islamic extremism. The episode ended with Gove having to apologize to the Prime Minister and May having to fire one of her closest advisers. It is said that after this incident, she became cooler towards David Cameron.
Theresa May advocated equal rights for same-sex couples, but at the same time against giving gay couples the opportunity to adopt children. She opposed climate change laws, further UK integration into the European Union, smoking bans in public places, fox hunting bans, but an invasion of Iraq and fewer migrants.
In the 70s, Theresa May was fond of the hippie movement.
It is considered the "oldest" prime minister in the last 40 years.
At the annual lottery in the county where she and her husband live, Teresa wins the Guess the Weight contest four times in a row. Mei's colleagues explain this by saying that she has a habit of using a pocket calculator to calculate the volume of a pie by measuring its circumference and thickness.
Quite regularly, Mr. and Mrs. May sing songs in chorus with their neighbor Jimmy Page from the rock band Led Zeppelin. Teresa's husband describes it this way: "When we drive up to Jimmy's house, he greets us with Whole Lotta Love, Teresa takes out a harmonica and plays something from Andrew Lloyd Webber back to him.
Theresa May has diabetes and injects herself with insulin every day.
Contrary to popular belief, Teresa has a very developed sense of humor. She loves to watch old movies and people around her often hear her laugh out loud. Her favorite movie is Alien.
Theresa May's nicknames are Theresa Maybe, Mother Theresa, Darth Mayder, Merkel of Maidenhead
Theresa May is blonde.
Theresa May's hobbies are cooking (according to her, she has more than 100 cookbooks) and hiking in the mountains.
Theresa May has a yearly subscription to Vogue and keys to 10 Downing Street, and she doesn't see anything strange about it. To paraphrase the phrase of the sun of Russian poetry "You can be a smart person and think about the beauty of your nails", Theresa May lives by the principle: you can be a politician and think about fashion.
Theresa May with her husband - Philip John May, an employee of the Capital Group Companies
The paparazzi have long noticed Theresa May's love for beautiful shoes. She wears different shoes, but most often shoes with small thin heels up to 5 cm high - kitten heels. These shoes were brought into fashion by Audrey Hepburn, who often wore kitten heels in her films. These shoes were extremely popular, but in the 80s they were supplanted by thin stilettos. Now shoes are gaining popularity again. They look good with office wear and feminine dresses and trousers.
Theresa May's kitten heels
Women politicians have a very meager choice of clothes, endless taboos in both the choice of style and the choice of color, but Theresa May breaks stereotypes, nevertheless, without falling into outrageousness. For example, she came to the Conservative Party convention in a dark blue "Bitzer" dress from French designer Roland Mouret. Dresses from Mouret are worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, Victoria Beckham and many Hollywood actresses.
0 11 July 2016, 22:38 
July 13, the current British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns, which he announced after the referendum on the United Kingdom from the European Union. Recall that the majority of citizens voted in favor of the exclusion of Foggy Albion from the European Union. David Cameron took the opposite position, so he decided to give way to another politician. And today he named the name of his successor, who became the current British Home Secretary Theresa May. What do we know about her?
The second woman in the history of the country
Theresa May, 59, will become the second woman in British history to serve as prime minister. Before her, this chair was occupied only by Margather Thatcher. In addition, Cameron's successor in 2002 became the nation's first female Conservative Party chairman. Often found in the media and Teresa's comparison with another prominent representative of European politics - German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Both women are credited with a merciless stance towards migrant workers.
Minister's daughter and Oxford student
Like Angela Merkel's father, Theresa May's parent was well-versed in matters of theology. The future prime minister of Great Britain was born in the family of a Protestant priest in the seaside town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. She was educated at Oxford University, where she studied geography. Alma mater gave Teresa a meeting with her future husband. At a modest student disco, she met Philip John May. This year marks their 36th wedding anniversary. The couple has no children.
Philip and Theresa May
Obedient parishioner and supporter of same-sex marriage
Theresa May considers herself a liberal conservative. She supports gender equality and is a supporter of same-sex marriage, although she voted against expanding gay rights in 2002.
Leopard shoes and patent leather over the knee boots to meet the queen
The future prime minister of Great Britain is known for her daring choice of shoes for formal occasions. So, colleagues in the Conservative Party remembered her leopard pumps, in which Theresa May was at one of the annual party conferences. And once she had to curtsey to Queen Elizabeth II and meet the President of Mexico in patent leather over the knee boots. She responds to the ironic comments of journalists with a smile:
I don't regret my choice of shoes. Good boots should also be able to handle the role of an icebreaker.
Queen Elizabeth II and Theresa May
Living in the shadow
Theresa May has held various minor positions in the Tory shadow government for many years: she was the shadow secretary of transport, food, the environment, culture, labor and pensions.
Smokers' rights
Photo gettyimages.com
