Theresa May is set to become Britain's next prime minister, lauded by her supporters as a safe pair of hands who can steer the country out of the European Union.
One of the most experienced members of the government, May favoured staying in the European Union, but her support during last month's referendum campaign was qualified and low-key. Since the vote, she has made clear that 'Brexit means Brexit'.
She is now the only candidate to succeed David Cameron in a Conservative Party leadership race after energy minister Andrea Leadsom abruptly withdrew.
Below is a summary of May's background and key quotes.
HOW SHE GOT HERE:
The daughter of a Church of England vicar, May studied geography at Oxford University, joining the Bank of England after her studies. She worked as a financial consultant at the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) before becoming a lawmaker for Maidenhead, west of London, in 1997.
She became chairman of the Conservative Party in 2002, famously telling supporters at its conference that year that people saw them as "the nasty party".
She has been Home Secretary (interior minister) since 2010. By next month she will have held the job, one of the...
