Theresa May speaks out about the moment she broke down during resignation speech

Theresa May has spoken out about the now-famous moment that she broke down in tears while delivering her resignation statement.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mrs May said the reaction to her tears as she stepped down as Prime Minister would have been somewhat different had she been a man.

Mrs May cried as she announced she was standing down as Prime Minister on May 24, showing what some saw as an uncharacteristic show of emotion.

But asked about her tears in the interview, she said: “If a male Prime Minister’s voice had broken up, it would have been said ‘what great patriotism, they really love their country’. But if a female Prime Minister does it, it is ‘why is she crying?’.”

In the interview, which comes as Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt battle it out to find out who will take over as PM, Mrs May revealed she had woken up in the night thinking about things during her time in the role.

She also reportedly took exception to a reference to Angela Merkel looking strained in recent public appearances, questioning why a female example had been picked.

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During the interview Mrs May also apparently said that despite her failure to deliver Brexit, she is proud of her legacy.

She was described as wearing a necklace that had been sent from supporters, and said that many people were left saddened that she had been forced to stand down.