This was 1,318 days after the original vote to leave. None of the leaders of the three main EU institutions have tweeted since the exit. European Parliament President David-Maria Sassoli was the most recent to have tweeted.

At 2.48pm, in Italian, Mr Sassoli said that a new beginning was about to be marked.

The Central Italy MEP added the EU would look to defend its interests but wants friendly relations with Britain.

European Council President Charles Michel’s most recent tweet came at 10.46am and he wrote: “It’s never a happy moment when someone leaves but we are opening a new chapter.

“We will devote all our energy to building a stronger, more ambitious EU.

“With 27 strong democracies, strong values, freedoms, 22 million businesses, and the biggest single market.“

At 10.58am, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU wanted to start negotiations on a free trade agreement in a spirit of fairness.

She added a desire to maintain student exchanges and research co-operation in her native German.

None of the trio were in their current positions at the beginning of the Brexit process.

Mr Sassoli took over from Antonio Tajani in July.

Mr Michel replaced Donald Tusk and Mrs von der Leyen replaced Jean-Claude Juncker in December.

When the Brexit vote happened, Mrs von der Leyen was German Defence Minister.

Mr Michel was the Belgian Prime Minister.

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Mr Sassoli was an MEP.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who did tweet after 11pm, also delivered a video message to mark the occasion posted on Twitter before the exit at 10.00pm.

Mr Johnson began: “For many people, this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come.

“And there are manny, of course, who feel a sense of anxiety and loss.

“And then there’s a third group, perhaps the biggest, who started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end.

He added: “I understand all those feelings and our job as a government, my job is to bring this country together now and take us forward.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted: “The United Kingdom has left the European Union.

“We’re ambitious, confident and optimistic for our future – as masters of our own destiny, and a force for good in the world.”

He used emojis of the UK and EU flags.

Britain will be in a transition period for the rest of 2020.

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