Queen gives Brexit bill royal assent

The Queen has formally granted Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger exit talks with the European Union.

Theresa May has been given the legal power to start Brexit talks after the Queen granted royal assent to the Article 50 Bill.

Speaker John Bercow told MPs that the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which was passed by MPs and peers on Monday, had received its final sign off, prompting cheers from the Conservative benches.

Mrs May has said she will invoke Article 50, the legal mechanism for withdrawal from the EU, by the end of the month in what will be a "defining moment" for the country.