Theresa May served as British Prime Minister from July 2016 to July 2019. She was the second woman to hold the office. The first was Margaret Thatcher.

While in office, May faced a deep political crisis over her plan for Britain to exit the European Union. She finally bowed to pressure over her failure to deliver on Brexit and announced her resignation on May 24.

She was replaced by incoming Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he won the United Kingdom's Conservative Party leadership contest on July 23.

See more photos of May through the years.

May, here in a family childhood photo, was born October 1, 1956, in Eastbourne, England. She was the only child of Hubert and Zaidee Brasier. Her father was an Anglican vicar.
May, here in a family childhood photo, was born October 1, 1956, in Eastbourne, England. She was the only child of Hubert and Zaidee Brasier. Her father was an Anglican vicar.
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May, left, as a young girl.
May, left, as a young girl.
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She married her husband, Philip May, in 1980. He is an investment banker. They met each other as college students. They were introduced at an Oxford Conservative Association dance by <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2007%2FWORLD%2Fasiapcf%2F12%2F27%2Fpakistan.bhutto%2F" target="_blank">Benazir Bhutto,</a> who later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
She married her husband, Philip May, in 1980. He is an investment banker. They met each other as college students. They were introduced at an Oxford Conservative Association dance by Benazir Bhutto, who later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
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In May 1997, May was elected to Parliament. She had previously been a councillor in the London borough of Merton.
In May 1997, May was elected to Parliament. She had previously been a councillor in the London borough of Merton.
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From 1999-2001, May was shadow secretary of state for education and employment.
From 1999-2001, May was shadow secretary of state for education and employment.
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May and the rest of the shadow Cabinet in November 2003. The shadow Cabinet is the opposition party's senior leadership. May held various posts while in Parliament.
May and the rest of the shadow Cabinet in November 2003. The shadow Cabinet is the opposition party's senior leadership. May held various posts while in Parliament.
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May works in her House of Commons office in January 2009.
May works in her House of Commons office in January 2009.
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May joins then-Conservative Party leader <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2012%2F12%2F13%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fdavid-cameron---fast-facts%2Findex.html" target="_blank">David Cameron</a> during a party conference in Manchester, England, in October 2009. Cameron became Prime Minister the following year, and May was appointed home secretary.
May joins then-Conservative Party leader David Cameron during a party conference in Manchester, England, in October 2009. Cameron became Prime Minister the following year, and May was appointed home secretary.
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May addresses at a news conference in London in July 2016. She was on course to succeed Cameron as Prime Minister after her only opponent, Andrea Leadsom, dropped out. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2016%2F07%2F11%2Feurope%2Fbritain-politics-may-leadsom%2F" target="_blank">Cameron resigned after the UK</a> voted to leave the European Union.
May addresses at a news conference in London in July 2016. She was on course to succeed Cameron as Prime Minister after her only opponent, Andrea Leadsom, dropped out. Cameron resigned after the UK voted to leave the European Union.
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Queen Elizabeth II welcomes May at Buckingham Palace on the day she became Prime Minister.
Queen Elizabeth II welcomes May at Buckingham Palace on the day she became Prime Minister.
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May walks with her husband, Philip, while they vacationed in the Swiss Alps in August 2016.
May walks with her husband, Philip, while they vacationed in the Swiss Alps in August 2016.
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May, in the center of the front row, with members of her Cabinet in September 2016.
May, in the center of the front row, with members of her Cabinet in September 2016.
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May visits President Donald Trump at the White House in January 2017. She was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after his inauguration.
May visits President Donald Trump at the White House in January 2017. She was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after his inauguration.
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May visits a primary school in Bootle, England, in February 2017.
May visits a primary school in Bootle, England, in February 2017.
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May signs a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk in March 2017 to start the formal process of Britain leaving the EU. She is sitting beneath a portrait of Robert Walpole, generally regarded as Britain's first Prime Minister.
May signs a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk in March 2017 to start the formal process of Britain leaving the EU. She is sitting beneath a portrait of Robert Walpole, generally regarded as Britain's first Prime Minister.
Christopher Furlong/AP
May receives a cough drop from UK finance minister Philip Hammond while having a coughing fit in an address to a Conservative Party conference in Manchester in October 2017. Earlier in the speech, she was<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Feurope%2Ftheresa-may-speech-disaster-conservative-party-conference%2Findex.html" target="_blank"> interrupted by a prankster,</a> who handed her a P45 form. A P45 is given to UK employees when they leave a company, similar to a pink slip in the United States.
May receives a cough drop from UK finance minister Philip Hammond while having a coughing fit in an address to a Conservative Party conference in Manchester in October 2017. Earlier in the speech, she was interrupted by a prankster, who handed her a P45 form. A P45 is given to UK employees when they leave a company, similar to a pink slip in the United States.
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May leaves No. 10 Downing St. after a Cabinet meeting in July 2018.
May leaves No. 10 Downing St. after a Cabinet meeting in July 2018.
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May arrives for a family photo during a European Union summit in Salzburg, Austria, in September 2018.
May arrives for a family photo during a European Union summit in Salzburg, Austria, in September 2018.
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May stands next to Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn at a Remembrance Day ceremony in London in November 2018. Behind them, from left, are former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.
May stands next to Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn at a Remembrance Day ceremony in London in November 2018. Behind them, from left, are former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.
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After a <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2018%2F11%2F15%2Fuk%2Fbrexit-deal-theresa-may-parliament-gbr-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">flurry of resignations</a> from key government ministers in November 2018, May makes a statement on the draft of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. May faces a deep political crisis over her Brexit plan, and it's unclear if she can hold her government together.
After a flurry of resignations from key government ministers in November 2018, May makes a statement on the draft of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. May faces a deep political crisis over her Brexit plan, and it's unclear if she can hold her government together.
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May addresses the media after her government <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2019%2F01%2F16%2Fuk%2Ftheresa-may-no-confidence-vote-brexit-intl-gbr%2Findex.html" target="_blank">defeated a no-confidence vote </a>in the House of Commons in January 2019. Lawmakers voted 325-306 in favor of the government remaining in power, one day after they rejected May's Brexit deal by 230 votes. That Brexit vote was the biggest defeat for any UK government in the modern parliamentary era.
May addresses the media after her government defeated a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons in January 2019. Lawmakers voted 325-306 in favor of the government remaining in power, one day after they rejected May's Brexit deal by 230 votes. That Brexit vote was the biggest defeat for any UK government in the modern parliamentary era.
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May speaks to the press in March 2019 as she arrives in Brussels, Belgium, for the first day of an EU summit focused on Brexit.
May speaks to the press in March 2019 as she arrives in Brussels, Belgium, for the first day of an EU summit focused on Brexit.
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May attends a meeting in Brussels in April 2019. After she formally requested a short extension to Brexit, the European Union <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2019%2F04%2F10%2Fuk%2Fbrexit-delay-eu-gbr-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">forced Britain to accept a six-month delay </a>with an option to leave earlier if the UK Parliament can agree on a deal.
May attends a meeting in Brussels in April 2019. After she formally requested a short extension to Brexit, the European Union forced Britain to accept a six-month delay with an option to leave earlier if the UK Parliament can agree on a deal.
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May attends an Easter church service in Sonning, England, in April 2019.
May attends an Easter church service in Sonning, England, in April 2019.
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with May in London in May 2019.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with May in London in May 2019.
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May delivers a speech proposing <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2019%2F05%2F21%2Fworld%2Ftheresa-may-new-brexit-deal-gbr-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">a "new Brexit plan" </a>in May 2019.
May delivers a speech proposing a "new Brexit plan" in May 2019.
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May announces her resignation in an emotional appearance outside No. 10 Downing St. in May 2019. May said she would <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2019%2F05%2F24%2Feurope%2Ftheresa-may-resigns-brexit-gbr-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">quit as leader of the Conservative Party</a> but stay on as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen.
May announces her resignation in an emotional appearance outside No. 10 Downing St. in May 2019. May said she would quit as leader of the Conservative Party but stay on as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen.
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May and her husband, Philip, stand in front of No. 10 Downing Street before delivering her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.
May and her husband, Philip, stand in front of No. 10 Downing Street before delivering her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.
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