A raft of announcements are planned on subjects close to Mrs May’s heart, and aides hope to give the country a glimpse of the policies that would have defined her premiership if British politics were not gripped by Brexit. There is a strong expectation that measures to improve mental health provision will be unveiled. The future of tuition fees will also come under the spotlight when a long-awaited report on post-18 education lands. Other issues that could take centre stage include the environment and climate change. Up to 40 staff gathered in a Downing Street state room on Friday to applaud the Tory leader after she delivered her deeply emotional speech to the nation in which she laid out her plans to resign on June 7.

But before the removal vans arrive outside No 10, officials have to nail down the details of announcements which will tackle some of the “burning injustices” Mrs May said she wanted to address as PM.

Her speech on Friday did not take staff by surprise, and her team have been able to start work in recent weeks on the legacy measures.

A source described the atmosphere in Downing Street after Mrs May confirmed that the curtain will shortly fall on her time in office: “Everyone was very proud of her. It wasn’t tears everywhere and ‘this is a disaster’.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing but we knew this was coming. It wasn’t a big shock.”

Observers were also reminded of the strength that Mrs May draws from her relationship with her husband, Philip. She told the gathering that the 61-year-old was her “rock”.

His position as one of Mrs May’s most influential advisers has been underscored in recent months, with rumours circulating that Conservative figures may have sought his help in persuading the PM to call it a day.

Mrs May had already resolved to step down when she met with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs on Friday morning.

The purpose of the meeting was to map out the timetable for her departure – not whether or not she would go. The source said: “I think her decision on this had already been made.

“It wasn’t a meeting where at the end of it she suddenly realised she had to resign.” Also present were Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis and Gavin Barwell, Mrs May’s chief of staff.

It was always part of the plan that Mrs May would then address the nation.

It is understood she realised she would have to go on Wednesday afternoon as the scale of Tory opposition to her last-ditch proposals to deliver a Brexit deal became clear.

There was fury in Conservative ranks at her plan for a vote on a second referendum.

Trusted aide Keelan Carr started work on the speech, while in a febrile Westminster attention focused on the runners and riders entering the race to succeed her.

The depth of the PM’s sadness that her time in No 10 is coming to a close was undeniable in the closing moments of her speech.

Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her when she expressed her gratitude at serving “the country I love”.

Mr May appeared to grimace, fully aware of the stress his wife is under. It is reported that her first words after composing herself were: “I’m sorry.”

When she went upstairs to thank her staff and top aides, Mrs May reiterated that she had tried on three occasions to get the Brexit deal she negotiated with the EU through Parliament.

This was seen as an implicit dig at the European Research Group of anti-Brussels MPs who led Tory opposition to the deal. As well as saluting the contribution of her husband, Mrs May is said to have paid a moving tribute to her chief of staff, Mr Barwell.

He was a victim of her decision to call a snap election in 2017, losing his Croydon Central seat. Mrs May then made him her top lieutenant.

After Mrs May was applauded, staff took the opportunity to pay their own tributes to Mr Barwell.

The source said: “He is very impressive and I think No 10 felt sad for him as well as the PM. We really looked up to him a lot.”

The intensity of Mrs May’s address in Downing Street provided a sharp contrast with David Cameron’s goodbye speech, which finished with him turning on his heel and humming a tune as he walked towards the famous black door.

The source said: “She’s really given everything she had to this, and I think that emotion over the past three years came to the fore in that speech. I think everyone was very proud of her.”

At least two people were given advance notice that Mrs May would declare her intention to stand down.

First, she informed the Queen, who in the near future will sit down with the 14th prime minister to serve under her – the latest in a line stretching back to Winston Churchill.

Then she told Richard Kellaway, who chairs Maidenhead Conservative Association.

She has represented the constituency since 1997, and was doorknocking there on Thursday in a final-hour effort to get local voters to the polls in the European Parliament elections.

Although work is underway on the policy announcements that will be made in the coming weeks, as well as the preparations for President Trump’s imminent state visit, there is no expectation that Mrs May will signal her preference for a potential successor.

Instead, Downing Street is expected to stay “completely out of it”.

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