LONDON, March 16. /TASS/. Queen Elizabeth II has given Royal Assent to the Brexit bill, Speaker of the House Commons, John Bercow, and his counterpart in the House of Lords, Lord Norman Fowler, announced on Thursday.

"I have to notify the house that Her Majesty has signified her Royal ascent to the following act: The European Union Notification of Withdrawal Act 2017," Bercow said.

On March 13, both houses of the British Parliament agreed on the famed "Brexit" bill, which authorizes Prime Minister Theresa May to send a formal request to Brussels on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in accordance with Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on the EU and begin two-year talks on the issue. The debate in parliament on the document, which contains a total of 137 words, lasted more than a month. The House of Lords tried to introduce two amendments to it obliging the government to guarantee citizens’ rights and present the outcome of the talks with Brussels to the British parliament to debate on. However, both amendments were rejected by the House of Commons, and the bill was eventually approved in its original form.

According to the British media, May will send a request on March 29 after completing her tour of the UK, during which she will try to secure support for the future negotiation process from the authorities of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

No country has left the European Union since the Maastricht Treaty on establishing the EU was signed in 1992.