Mrs May has always drawn strength from her long and settled 38-year marriage to husband Philip, with whom she lives in Sonning, Berkshire, and her Christian faith.
Philip has been her comforter and biggest supporter at the height of the political turmoil his wife has faced, often watching PMQs from the Commons gallery where she could see him.
He would help make her beans on toast in the Downing Street kitchen and pour her a large whisky after a particularly hard day in recent months.
In November she spoke about her marriage, her faith and how she coped with Tory plotters sniping at her for two years and the threat of being deposed.
Asked if she lost any sleep, she laughed and said: 'It depends how strong the whisky is, or how much Philip has poured for me!'
She added: 'When you are PM you wake up each morning and never quite know how the day is going to pan out.'
In fact it was her boyfriend and future husband — two years her junior — who attracted attention as a potential rising political star.
Philip has been a constant at Theresa May's side during her time as Prime Minister, providing comfort and advice
Mr and Mrs May pictured together shortly after they married in 1980
In one of her last public engagements as Tory leader he accompanied Mrs May to cast a European election vote in her Maidenhead constituency yesterday
Philip May was the toast of the debating chamber, a friend of Benazir Bhutto, the future Prime Minister of Pakistan who was to be assassinated in 2007.
It was Benazir who introduced Philip to Theresa at a Conservative association disco — he the centre of much attention, she the barely-noticed ex-grammar schoolgirl and vicar's
