Britain's new Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks to members of the media at The St Stephen's entrance to the Palace of Westminster in London. Picture: AFP

But, perhaps it’s more appropriate to mention Mrs May, dubbed a “bloody difficult woman” by her critics, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Both, after all, are the daughters of clergyman which have risen through the ranks to become their respective countries’ leader.

Under normal circumstances, Mrs May and Mrs Merkel, might have been expected to have a solid working relationship given both are fans of the European Union.

But it’s the UK public’s decision to exit the EU which has thrust the Remain campaigner into the position of having to lead Britain’s negotiations to leave the union.

It shouldn’t have been this way.

The transition plan from David Cameron, Britain’s current prime minister, to the country’s next leader, had already been written. It was either going to be treasurer and pro-EU campaigner George Osbourne or head of the Brexit campaign, and foppish former London mayor, Boris Johnson.

An unexpected win for the anti-EU brigade, causing Mr Cameron to resign, and an equally unexpected felling of Mr Johnson as a candidate for party leader thrust Mrs May into pole position.

Nothing now stands in the way of Mrs May meeting the Queen and picking up the keys to No. 10 Downing Street.

Britain's new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip John May outside Britain’s Houses of Parliament on Monday. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

‘ONLY ONE MARGARET THATCHER’

It’s a relatively short trip from the sedate Victorian seaside resort of Eastbourne, where Mrs May was born, up through the rolling lush hills of Sussex to Westminster.

But with her relatively modest upbringing, Mrs May would be forgiven for thinking high political office was something of a long shot. Especially given the elitism rife in the UK’s ruling right-of-centre Conservative Party.

Born in the 1950s, her father was an Anglican vicar. She attended both state and private schools before attending St Hugh’s College at Oxford University.

A career in finance included a spell at the Bank of England, the UK’s reserve bank.

In 1986 she became a local councillor and in 1997 entered parliament as the MP for Maidenhead, a well-to-do commuter town west of London.

It didn’t take long for people to start talking of her as a modern-day Mrs Thatcher, who was in power throughout the 1980s.

She has shrugged off any similarities. “I think there can only ever be one Margaret Thatcher. I’m not someone who naturally looks to role models. Whatever job it is I’m doing at the time … I put my all into it, and try to do the best job I can.”

Theresa May (left) is now Britain’s PM-in-waiting following her main rival, Andrea Leadsom, pulling out of the race to lead the UK’s Conservative Party. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

‘YOU CAN HAVE A CAREER AND LIKE CLOTHES’

Ms May has a reputation for ruthless ambition and steely self composure, not unlike the late Mrs Thatcher.

Just eight days ago, former Conservative minister Kenneth Clarke — in a discussion with another former minister that was caught on camera by Sky News UK — said of Mrs May: “Theresa is a bloody difficult woman, but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher”.

With some aplomb, Mrs May retorted, “Politics could do with some bloody difficult women actually”.

She has also had to cope with a focus on all things sartorial, particularly her penchant for leopard print heels. “I like clothes and I like shoes,” she says. “You can have a career and like clothes.”

Perhaps, the one event in recent days that catapulted her into pole position as PM was a misguided interview by Andrea Leadsom, her one remaining rival, who seemed to suggest the fact Mrs May didn’t have children was a mark against her.

It was a bad move on her competitor’s part. Just days previously, Mrs May had told the Mail on Sunday of her and her husband Phil May’s struggle to conceive.

“Of course we were both affected by it. You see friends who now have grown-up children, but you accept the hand that life deals you,”

A 2003 photo of Theresa May. Picture: PASource:AP

DIABETES

Another hand life has dealt Mrs May is living with Type 1 diabetes leading her to inject herself with insulin twice a day. It’s just “a case of just getting on with it,” she comments.

Britain’s soon to be PM has faced numerous struggles on the floor of Parliament as well.

The longest ever serving UK home secretary, she has picked battles with the police, in 2014 berating them for the lack of trust in the force from Britain’s black community.

Mrs May cracked down on non-EU migration, but not by enough to meet the Government’s own targets, and deported Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric.

On welfare, she has voted for cuts and is not convinced of climate change.

She says she sees herself as a moderate “one-nation Conservative” and publicly backed the push for same-sex marriage. Although this was a change for her earlier voting record which was against many measures that would have benefited LGBTI people.

Theresa May at the 2013 Conservative Party conference. Picture: PASource:AP

ABBA

When the EU referendum was in full swing, Mrs May publicly supported the campaign to remain in the bloc but could hardly be called an enthusiastic supporter.

With Leave triumphing, Mrs May has moved to shut down speculation Britain could somehow pretend the poll never happened and remain part of the EU.

“Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a success of it,” she said this week.

Interviewed by the BBC, Mrs May once said her favourite song was ABBA’s Dancing Queen.

She’ll have to have her best dance moves at the ready to negotiate the tricky tango of not only Britain’s EU exit but also the simmering division with her own party.