Queen Elizabeth II officially appointed Theresa May as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom on Wednesday.

May traveled to Buckinhgam Palace where she officially accepted the invitation of the Queen to form a new government. Prior to that, the Queen accepted the resignation of David Cameron as prime minister.

Cameron resigned immediately after the outcome of June's referendum on the UK's membership to the EU in which 51.9 % of voters had supported Brexit.

On Monday, it became clear that May will succeed Cameron after the other remaining candidate for the leadership of the Conservative party, Andrea Lisdom, withdrew from the contest.

During his farewell statement on Wednesday, Cameron said that his successor, who had served as home secretary in both his cabinets, would provide strong and stable leadership.

May becomes the second female prime minister in the history of the UK after Margaret Thatcher who ruled between 1979 and 1990.

One of her first tasks will be to appoint a new cabinet. After that she will have to negotiate the terms and conditions of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

During her first speech as prime minister, May identified her mission as being to build a better Britain. She also vowed to create a country that “works for all not just the privileged few”, the BBC quotes her as saying.