Theresa May, the late Queen and a cheese mishap that left MPs in stitches

As prime minister, she was not known for her comedic flair. But Theresa May became the unlikely star of Friday’s tributes, as she reduced the House of Commons to floods of laughter with an anecdote about the time she accidentally dropped some cheese in front of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Maidenhead MP was among the first to pay tribute to the late Queen on Friday afternoon, and took the opportunity to recount an amusing tale about a picnic they enjoyed together in Balmoral.

"Her Majesty loved the countryside, and she was down to earth and a woman of common sense,” said Mrs May.

"I remember one picnic at Balmoral, which was taking place in one of the bothies on the estate. The hampers came from the castle, and we all mucked in to put the food and drink out on the table.

"I picked up some cheese, put it on a plate and was transferring it to the table. The cheese fell on the floor. I had a split-second decision to make."

Mrs May paused as MPs burst into laughter, before detailing how she employed the “three-second rule” in relation to the cheese.

"I picked up the cheese, put it on the plate and put it on the table. I turned round to see that my every move had been watched very carefully by Her Majesty the Queen,” she said. “I looked at her. She looked at me and she just smiled. And the cheese remained on the table."

Mrs May used her time in the Chamber to recall her weekly audiences with the monarch during her time as prime minister, provoking another round of hearty laughter as she joked that it was the only meeting she knew "would not be briefed out to the media".

She said: "Across the nations of the world, for so many people, meeting Queen Elizabeth simply made their day and for many will be the memory of their life.

"Of course, for those of us who had the honour to serve as one of her prime ministers, those meetings were more frequent with the weekly audiences.

"These were not meetings with a high and mighty monarch, but a conversation with a woman of experience and knowledge and immense wisdom. They were also the one meeting I went to, which I knew would not be briefed out to the media."

The comment was met with chuckles by MPs, before Mrs May added: "What made those audiences so special was the understanding the Queen had of issues which came from the work she put into her red boxes, combined with her years of experience."

Mrs May concluded her tribute, saying that the late Queen was “respected around the world” and “united our nation in times of trouble”.

She added that Queen Elizabeth II “joined in our celebrations with joy and a mischievous smile”, adding: “She gave an example to us all, of faith, of service of duty, of dignity, of decency.

"She was remarkable, and I doubt we will ever see her like again. May she rest in peace and rise in glory."