AS David Cameron chaired his last Cabinet meeting as Prime Minister, his 215th, his colleagues banged the table four times to show their appreciation of his abruptly curtailed premiership.
“It was a warm, reflective mood,” said Mr Cameron’s spokeswoman. The PM told ministers how it had been “an honour and pleasure to chair cabinet for the last six years,” which had discussed more than 900 items of government business.
He recalled some of the meetings the cabinet had had in that time, including those around the country in Aberdeen, Bradford and Bristol, and expressed his “pride at the record of achievements” of the government he had led. 
Mr Cameron again praised his successor, saying Theresa May was the right person to lead the country through the difficult times ahead and wished her the “support and friendship” he had received from cabinet colleagues.
Mrs May returned the compliment, hailing the PM’s achievements in turning the economy around, protecting Britain from the terrorist threat and a whole range of foreign policy issues, where he had “put the country first”.

Read more: Theresa May under pressure to call General Election after 'coronation' as Prime Minister

After the expected nine-week leadership campaign was truncated to just a couple of days by Andrea Leadsom's withdrawal from the contest, Mrs May faces a breakneck period of activity appointing a new Cabinet as she takes the reins of power

After presenting herself as the unity candidate, she is expected to offer plum posts to leading figures from both the Remain and Leave camps from the EU referendum, in which she backed continued membership but kept a low profile.

Talk of Westminster now is who she will appoint to her new-look cabinet.

Heavily tipped to enter the Treasury as chancellor is Philip Hammond, who backed Mrs May early on. A former shadow chief secretary, as defence secretary he balanced the books at the start of the Coalition government, filling in a £38 billion black hole. Being chancellor is a job Mr Hammond has long coveted.

Read more: Theresa May to be Prime Minister by Wednesday eveningColleagues banged the table enthusiastically.
George Osborne also praised Mr Cameron’s achievements, pointing, in particular, to the introduction of gay marriage, the increase in apprenticeships, education reform and the national living wage. The chancellor told the PM that he should be “proud he had left the country in a better place”. Again, colleagues banged the table at what were described as “poignant tributes”.
The hourlong cabinet, which began at 9.30am, started with the PM entering the cabinet room “to a round of banging on the table from his colleagues,” explained the spokeswoman.
After discussing the issue of improving people’s life chances and tackling poverty, cabinet ministers then moved on to the renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, which MPs will vote on on Monday.
“The PM recounted that one of his more memorable visits had been when he was being winched into a submarine off the coast of Scotland,” explaiend the spokeswoman.
The cabinet highlighted how Trident and its renewal was the “ultimate insurance to protect from future threats” in the 2030s, 2040s and 2050s and “underlined Britain’s ongoing place in the world and that we remain an outward-looking nation”.
Ministers also talked about nuclear disarmament, gave unanimous support for having four submarines to deliver continuous at-sea deterrence and the need to keep a tight rein on the costs of replacing Trident.
In total, there were four rounds of banging on the table, added the spokeswoman. 
Read more: Tory MPs desperate not to have a general election

As cabinet ministers left the room, Mrs May stayed behind to discuss arrangements that needed to be put in place for tomorrow’s handover.
Before the weekly cabinet, Mr Cameron had a private meeting with Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader. She did not attend the cabinet. 
The PM’s last official visit was to a free school in west London to coincide with the announcement that there will be 31 more such schools in England on top of the 300 already introduced since 2010. This policy, noted Mr Cameron’s spokeswoman, was regarded by him as one of his key achievements in his six years in power.
She declined to get into detail about the handover of power but it was noted how a removal van had been spotted at the back of No 10, signalling the change of guard had already begun.
A man wearing a blue T-shirt with the words "Simply Removals" on the back was also seen walking past No 10 and carrying boxes into the building.
Emilian Sirbu, 31, one of the removals men, later drove the van out of the back entrance to Downing Street. "I was just delivering boxes. We will be back later. I don't know how many teams will be working on it," he said.
Meantime, the PM’s spokeswoman did, however, confirm that Larry, the Downing Street cat, would be staying on, leading one wit to note that the No 10 mouser was “a Remainer”.
After cabinet, the soon-to-be Prime Minister, wearing animal-print pumps, shrugged off an awkward moment as she turned right out of Downing Street and walked to the wrong car, forcing her into a U-turn.
Mrs May then posed for pictures outside the famous black door as photographers clamoured for her attention before getting into the right car and being driven away.
Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, emerged from No 10 saying there had been "lots of lovely" tributes to Mr Cameron, who will leave Downing Street tomorrow following his last Prime Minister’s Questions to submit his resignation to the Queen. Then, Mrs May will arrive at Buckingham Palace to accept the seals of office from Her Majesty.
After the expected nine-week leadership campaign was truncated to just a couple of days by Andrea Leadsom's withdrawal from the contest, the new PM faces a breakneck period of activity appointing a new Cabinet as she takes the reins of power.
After presenting herself as the unity candidate, she is expected to offer plum posts to leading figures from both the Remain and Leave camps in the EU referendum, in which she backed continued membership but kept a conspicuously low profile.
Talk of Westminster now is who she will appoint to her new-look cabinet.
Heavily tipped to enter the Treasury as chancellor is Philip Hammond, who backed Mrs May early on. A former shadow chief secretary, as defence secretary he balanced the books at the start of the Coalition government, filling in a £38 billion black hole. Being chancellor is a job Mr Hammond has long coveted.
George Osborne could do a job swap with Mr Hammond and transfer to the Foreign Office.
Senior Brexiter Chris Grayling will be rewarded for his role running Mrs May's campaign, possibly replacing her as Home Secretary.
Another possibility that as a loyal May supporters he could be given the job of overseeing negotiations for the UK's departure form the EU and make good on the new PM's promise that "Brexit means Brexit". 
Alternatively, this could be filled by lead Leaver Andrea Leadsom, who is expected to be offered a top job in recognition of her raised profile from the referendum.
But big question marks were hanging over the future of Brexit standard-bearers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who were seen to have blotted their copy-books in the wake of the referendum result but moved quickly to endorse Mrs May when Mrs Leadsom pulled out.
The Justice Secretary is seen as having left the leadership tussle as a somewhat diminished figure, and as he also has a history of run-ins with Mrs May, the new PM will face another telling decision regarding what to do with him; keeping him where he is may prove the safest option.
Fellow Scot, Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, who was the first leadership contender to be eliminated, quickly swung behind Mrs May. Despite his high-profile departure from cabinet in October 2011, the former GP has behaved himself on the backbenches. The leading Outer looks set for a Cabinet return, possibly replacing Jeremy Hunt, who has antagonised the striking junior doctors, at health. 
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers - one of a handful of Cabinet ministers who backed Leave - said she trusted Mrs May "absolutely" as she arrived in Downing Street. But she could be the chop to make way for some new faces.
Meantime, as the only Scottish Conservative MP David Mundell, another May supporter, looks certain to remain at the Scotland Office; his key role could be staving off the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum.
Others tipped for promotions include International Development Secretary Justine Greening, Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, although the latter could remain at the Ministry of Defence, a job he loves.
The first cabinet appointments could come as early as Wednesday evening with others made on Thursday. More junior appointments are likely to be made over the weekend with Mrs May making her debut at PMQs next Wednesday before Westminster rises for its summer recess.