UK Brexit Minister Expects Queen to Approve Bill on UK Exit From EU Thursday

David Davis, the UK secretary of state for exiting the European Union, said Wednesday he expected the Queen to give her royal assent to a bill on Britain's withdrawal from the bloc on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — After it is approved by the Queen, the legislation will allow Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty clause on exit, which she is still expected to do by the end of March.

"The truth is I think I’m right to say that we are expecting the royal assent tomorrow," Davis told a House of Commons select committee.

On Monday, the House of Lords approved the bill on launching the procedure to leave the European Union without amendments, which have been proposed by the upper house. One of the amendments could give UK lawmakers veto powers on the final Brexit deal, while the other guaranteed the rights of EU citizens in the United Kingdom after Brexit, but they were rejected due to the lower house pressure.

The legislation must now be given a royal assent before becoming law and enabling Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Brexit by the month's end.

The United Kingdom held a referendum on June 23, 2016, deciding to leave the European Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the country would trigger Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty, which will initiate the country's withdrawal process from the EU, by the end of March.