Theresa May Recalls Hilarious Moment She Realized the Queen Saw Her Pick Cheese Up Off the Floor

Former British Prime Minister Theresa May is remembering Queen Elizabeth II.

In a speech at the House of Commons on Friday, May, 65, delivered a funny and touching tribute to the late monarch, who died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle. She was 96.

"Yesterday was a day we all knew would come some time but in our hearts of hearts we hoped never would," the Member of Parliament began. "But as we mourn a beloved monarch, we must always remember that she was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother."

She continued, sending "thoughts and prayers" to the newest reigning monarch, King Charles III, and the entire royal family.

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May went on to share a special moment she had with the Queen. "I remember one picnic at Balmoral which was taking place in one of the bothies on the estate," she said, "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," she said, adding that a second later, the cheese fell onto the floor. "I had a split-second decision to make," she added, as the House of Commons filled with laughter.

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"I picked up the cheese [off the ground], put it on the plate and put it on the table," May said. "I turned round to see that my every move had been watched very carefully by Her Majesty the Queen."

She continued, "I looked at her. She looked at me. And she just smiled. And the cheese remained on the table."

Dominic Lipinski-WPA Pool/Getty Images Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth

Embracing the mixed emotions in the room as the House of Commons remembered fun moments with the long-reigning monarch, May added, "This is indeed a sad day, but it is also a celebration of a life well spent in the service of others. There have been many words of tribute and superlatives used, but these are not hype, these are entirely justified."

"She was remarkable and I doubt we will ever see her like again," May said at the end of her speech. "May she rest in peace and rise in glory."

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On Thursday, the United Kingdom's newly appointed prime minister, 47-year-old Liz Truss, made a statement of her own at 10 Downing Street regarding the Queen's death.

"We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world," Truss said. "Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her."

Truss, who was appointed as Queen Elizabeth's 15th and final monarch earlier this week, reflected on her legacy with the throne, to which she ascended shortly after World War II. Truss also acknowledged the Queen's work with the Commonwealth, which expanded from seven countries to 56, spanning every continent, during the Queen's reign.

"We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed," she said. "She was the very spirit of Great Britain — and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch. It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years."

RELATED VIDEO: Prime Minister Liz Truss Delivers Statement Following Death Of Queen Elizabeth II

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Truss continued, "Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all."

She recalled the Queen's determination "to carry out her duties" in her final days, including with Truss' own appointment to office at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as well as her many visits to more than 100 countries and touching "the lives of millions around the world."

"In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service," she continued. "It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy. Today, the crown passes, as it has done for more than a thousand years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.

"With the King's family, we mourn the loss of his mother. And as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all. We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words, 'God save the King,'" Truss concluded.

The Queen's death follows the passing of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in June 2021. She is succeeded immediately by her eldest son, King Charles III, 73, who is now the monarch.