The UK finally leaves the EU as Britons across the country celebrate (PHOTOS)
Britain has ushered in a new chapter outside the European Union as Brexit was at last delivered, drawing a line under 47 years of membership.
On the stroke of 11pm on Friday night, the UK officially divorced from the bloc after three years of bitter political struggle that split families and paralysed Westminster.
Jubilant Brexiteers heralded the moment with celebrations across the country, including a flagship bash in London's Parliament Square headlined by Nigel Farage.
Britain's last moments inside the EU were ticked off in a light show projected on to the famous black door of Downing Street, where Boris Johnson held a muted party for his staff after releasing a pre-recorded address to the nation.
The Prime Minister hailed the 'moment of hope, a moment many people thought would never come' and said Brexit would 'unleash' the UK's potential - but warned there will be more 'bumps in the road'.
Britain has now entered an 11-month transition period with the EU, during which time the government will race to strike a trade deal before December.
But any future wrangling with Brussels was far from the minds of revellers this evening, who waved Union Jacks and cheered triumphantly following victory speeches by key architects of Brexit including Mr Farage, who is no longer an MEP after being a disruptive force in the European Parliament for over 20 years.
The Brexit Party leader said: 'There is one thing above all we must celebrate tonight and it is this. The reason we are here tonight is because Westminster became detached from the people in this country.
'The people have beaten the establishment. The real winner tonight is democracy. And I am someone who believes we should be pro-Europe, but not the European Union.'
Choruses of God Save The Queen and The Land of Hope And Glory swung round Parliament Square, and were echoed in similar parties up and down the UK.
Brexit was also marked by Remainers - albeit with less fanfare - who mourned the end of the near half-century relationship with the bloc.
Those at a candlelit vigil held outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh chanted 'we don't want your Brexit'.
And the moment was bitter-sweet for staff at the Department for Exiting the European Union, who have worked towards this day since established by Theresa May in 2016 only to be no longer needed.
On the white cliffs of Dover, the closest point of the UK peninsula to the European mainland, a farewell message was projected.
It followed a series of highly symbolic events earlier - the UK's flag was removed at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels.
And the EU flag was taken down at the British government's building in the Belgian capital.
Former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, who both fell on their swords because of Brexit, have intervened on the historic day.
Ms May said the occasion meant the government has 'kept the faith of the British people' while Mr Cameron was optimistic about the country's post-Brexit future.
Across the Channel, Emmanuel Macron lamented 'a sad day' as the UK left the EU.
But the French President could not resist firing a parting shot at Leavers who he said disseminated 'lies, exaggerations and simplifications' during the 2016 referendum.
Yet his scathing assessment would have fallen on deaf ears, as most of the core players in the Leave campaign were toasting in Brexit on Friday night.
In Parliament Square, speeches were made by former Brexit Party MEPs Ann Widdecombe and Richard Tice, and Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin.
The Prime Minister himself, eager to avoid appearing triumphalist, hosted a small gathering for his advisers in Number 10, where English sparkling wine was served.
This morning Mr Johnson took his Cabinet to Sunderland, the first city to declare a majority for Leave in the 2016 referendum, in a symbol of his desire to reconnect with the north.
He told ministers the UK is starting a 'new chapter' and he would be 'going full steam ahead to bring the nation together', according to Downing Street.
He said the government would 'begin immediately - providing better healthcare and education, tackling violent crime and homelessness and delivering great new infrastructure'.
He also laid down the gauntlet to the EU over trade negotiations, saying the UK will seek a loose 'Canada-style' deal.
He also made clear the government will look to strike deals with other countries outside the bloc at the same time.
A No10 spokesman said he told the Cabinet that 'from tomorrow, the UK will also be free to begin trade negotiations with countries around the world - with the aim to have 80 per cent of our trade covered by FTAs within three years'.
In his address tonight, the PM stressed his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country.
He said: 'It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family's life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.'
He made clear the government would focus on bringing about change for ordinary people, highlighting that ministers could now control immigration, do free trade deals, and 'liberate our fishing industry'.
'Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom,' he said.
The EU and UK will use the standstill period over the next 11 months to try to hammer out the terms of their future relationship.
The UK is adamant a comprehensive deal can be struck by the end of the year but the EU is deeply sceptical and has called for an extension - something Mr Johnson has categorically ruled out.
On Monday Mr Johnson will deliver a major speech setting out his approach to the Brexit talks as well as detailing his plans for a period of national renewal.
Sources said he would be 'very frank' about his aims for the negotiations with Brussels and his determination to allow Britain to 'diverge' from EU rules, even if that means the introduction of some trade barriers.
Mr Johnson will also warn that failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year would lead to the introduction of tariffs on goods entering from the EU, such as German cars, French cheese and Italian wines.
One government source said: 'Theresa May made two crucial mistakes – she wasn't clear about what she wanted, and she wasn't clear that she was prepared to leave with or without a deal.
'We are not going to make those mistakes. We want a good free trade deal, without alignment, but we are prepared to leave without one if we have to.'
Mr Johnson will also reject calls for the EU to be given automatic rights to UK fishing grounds – and for the European Court of Justice to be the arbiter of disputes arising from a new trade deal.
Mr Johnson has ordered only low key events to mark Britain's departure tonight.
Union flags have been put up in The Mall and around Parliament Square and there is a countdown clock and light show in Downing Street.
Leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker called for Brexiteers to avoid triumphalism, saying: 'I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.'
On the stroke of 11pm on Friday night, the UK officially divorced from the bloc after three years of bitter political struggle that split families and paralysed Westminster.
Jubilant Brexiteers heralded the moment with celebrations across the country, including a flagship bash in London's Parliament Square headlined by Nigel Farage.
Britain's last moments inside the EU were ticked off in a light show projected on to the famous black door of Downing Street, where Boris Johnson held a muted party for his staff after releasing a pre-recorded address to the nation.
The Prime Minister hailed the 'moment of hope, a moment many people thought would never come' and said Brexit would 'unleash' the UK's potential - but warned there will be more 'bumps in the road'.
Britain has now entered an 11-month transition period with the EU, during which time the government will race to strike a trade deal before December.
But any future wrangling with Brussels was far from the minds of revellers this evening, who waved Union Jacks and cheered triumphantly following victory speeches by key architects of Brexit including Mr Farage, who is no longer an MEP after being a disruptive force in the European Parliament for over 20 years.
The Brexit Party leader said: 'There is one thing above all we must celebrate tonight and it is this. The reason we are here tonight is because Westminster became detached from the people in this country.
'The people have beaten the establishment. The real winner tonight is democracy. And I am someone who believes we should be pro-Europe, but not the European Union.'
Choruses of God Save The Queen and The Land of Hope And Glory swung round Parliament Square, and were echoed in similar parties up and down the UK.
Brexit was also marked by Remainers - albeit with less fanfare - who mourned the end of the near half-century relationship with the bloc.
Those at a candlelit vigil held outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh chanted 'we don't want your Brexit'.
And the moment was bitter-sweet for staff at the Department for Exiting the European Union, who have worked towards this day since established by Theresa May in 2016 only to be no longer needed.
On the white cliffs of Dover, the closest point of the UK peninsula to the European mainland, a farewell message was projected.
It followed a series of highly symbolic events earlier - the UK's flag was removed at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels.
And the EU flag was taken down at the British government's building in the Belgian capital.
Former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, who both fell on their swords because of Brexit, have intervened on the historic day.
Ms May said the occasion meant the government has 'kept the faith of the British people' while Mr Cameron was optimistic about the country's post-Brexit future.
Across the Channel, Emmanuel Macron lamented 'a sad day' as the UK left the EU.
But the French President could not resist firing a parting shot at Leavers who he said disseminated 'lies, exaggerations and simplifications' during the 2016 referendum.
Yet his scathing assessment would have fallen on deaf ears, as most of the core players in the Leave campaign were toasting in Brexit on Friday night.
In Parliament Square, speeches were made by former Brexit Party MEPs Ann Widdecombe and Richard Tice, and Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin.
The Prime Minister himself, eager to avoid appearing triumphalist, hosted a small gathering for his advisers in Number 10, where English sparkling wine was served.
This morning Mr Johnson took his Cabinet to Sunderland, the first city to declare a majority for Leave in the 2016 referendum, in a symbol of his desire to reconnect with the north.
He told ministers the UK is starting a 'new chapter' and he would be 'going full steam ahead to bring the nation together', according to Downing Street.
He said the government would 'begin immediately - providing better healthcare and education, tackling violent crime and homelessness and delivering great new infrastructure'.
He also laid down the gauntlet to the EU over trade negotiations, saying the UK will seek a loose 'Canada-style' deal.
He also made clear the government will look to strike deals with other countries outside the bloc at the same time.
A No10 spokesman said he told the Cabinet that 'from tomorrow, the UK will also be free to begin trade negotiations with countries around the world - with the aim to have 80 per cent of our trade covered by FTAs within three years'.
In his address tonight, the PM stressed his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country.
He said: 'It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family's life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.'
He made clear the government would focus on bringing about change for ordinary people, highlighting that ministers could now control immigration, do free trade deals, and 'liberate our fishing industry'.
'Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom,' he said.
The EU and UK will use the standstill period over the next 11 months to try to hammer out the terms of their future relationship.
The UK is adamant a comprehensive deal can be struck by the end of the year but the EU is deeply sceptical and has called for an extension - something Mr Johnson has categorically ruled out.
On Monday Mr Johnson will deliver a major speech setting out his approach to the Brexit talks as well as detailing his plans for a period of national renewal.
Sources said he would be 'very frank' about his aims for the negotiations with Brussels and his determination to allow Britain to 'diverge' from EU rules, even if that means the introduction of some trade barriers.
Mr Johnson will also warn that failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year would lead to the introduction of tariffs on goods entering from the EU, such as German cars, French cheese and Italian wines.
One government source said: 'Theresa May made two crucial mistakes – she wasn't clear about what she wanted, and she wasn't clear that she was prepared to leave with or without a deal.
'We are not going to make those mistakes. We want a good free trade deal, without alignment, but we are prepared to leave without one if we have to.'
Mr Johnson will also reject calls for the EU to be given automatic rights to UK fishing grounds – and for the European Court of Justice to be the arbiter of disputes arising from a new trade deal.
Mr Johnson has ordered only low key events to mark Britain's departure tonight.
Union flags have been put up in The Mall and around Parliament Square and there is a countdown clock and light show in Downing Street.
Leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker called for Brexiteers to avoid triumphalism, saying: 'I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.'
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