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       EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured) said it was 'for the UK to decide' what happens next after Theresa May's resignation

      Many world newspapers led with images of Theresa May breaking down with emotion as she quit. Here, the website of German tabloid Bild simply declares 'Theresa May: Resignation' and quotes her regret that she could not get Brexit over the line

      There was little warmth from Russia, where Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Mrs May's tenure had been a 'difficult period in our bilateral relations'.

      Anglo-Russian relations fell to their lowest ebb in decades after former spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned in Salisbury last year.

      Dutch leader Mark Rutte said he had given Mrs May his 'thanks and respect' and said the withdrawal deal she negotiated remained on the table.

      In Austria, chancellor Sebastian Kurz - who is facing a wave of domestic pressure himself - said Mrs May was a 'principled and head-strong politician'.

      'I wish her well. I hope that despite her announcement, reason will prevail in the UK and her successor will see to an orderly Brexit,' he said.

      Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said: 'In spite of our differences Theresa May showed an openness of mind to resolve Brexit for UK and EU. I want to thank her for her resolve and cooperation.'

      German broadsheet newspaper Die Welt said that Mrs May had resigned 'with a cracking voice', explaining that she had failed to get her Brexit deal through Parliament

      Czech leader Andrej Babis said he hoped Britain might hold a second referendum and vote to remain in the EU after all French broadcaster TV5 Monde said that the 'unbreakable woman has just given way' after Mrs May withstood months of pressure before finally resigning

      There was no immediate response from the White House where it was very early in the morning when Mrs May made her Downing Street statement.

      Democratic congressman Brendan Boyle said he wished Mrs May well and said it was 'imperative that her successor does nothing to risk the Good Friday Agreement' in Northern Ireland.

      A rare piece of high praise came from Gibraltar, where the British territory's chief minister Fabian Picardo said: 'Thank you Prime Minister for a job well done against impossible odds'.

      When many others would have been cowed by the impossible odds, the daunting headlines and the impenetrable politics of Brexit, she has ploughed on without complaint,' he said.

      'And when it came to Gibraltar, she was steadfast in our defence and rock solid in her resolve that we would be included in any Withdrawal Agreement that she might finally propose.'

      'History will judge you more warmly and positively than today's fickle headlines.'

      The New York Times said Theresa May had been 'undone by Brexit' as her tumultuous three-year premiership comes to a close

      Meanwhile Indian leader Narendra Modi sent a curiously-timed tweet, promising to work with Britain after his own re-election, only shortly after Mrs May had resigned.

      Many foreign news websites led with the striking image of Mrs May breaking down in tears as her premiership finally crumbled.

      German national newspaper Die Welt ran with the headline: 'With a cracking voice, May announces her resignation'.

      The New York Times said Britain's PM had been 'undone by Brexit', predicting a 'vicious contest to succeed her within the Conservative party'.

      France's TV5 Monde had a more poetic headline, saying: 'The unbreakable woman has just given way'.

      Der Spiegel in Germany said she had been 'overcome by emotion', saying she had been 'massively under pressure from all sides'.

      Chapter Two

       Childhood and Early Life and Parents

      She was born Theresa Mary Brasier on October 1, 1956, into a middle-class family in Eastbourne, Sussex. She was the daughter of Church of England vicar, Hubert, and his wife, Zuaidee.