Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised a "new era of friendly cooperation" with the European Union on Friday as Britain prepared to leave the bloc after almost five decades.
In a public address broadcast one hour before Brexit, Johnson acknowledged there may be "bumps in the road" ahead but promised the departure was an opportunity for "stunning success".
"The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning," he said in a pre-recorded statement from Downing Street.
Britain remains as split over Brexit as it was in the 2016 referendum. But after more than three years of wrangling, it leaves the EU at 11:00 pm (2300 GMT).
"For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come," Johnson said.
"And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss.
"And then there's a third group, perhaps the biggest, who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end.
"I understand all those feelings, and our job as the government -- my job -- is to bring this country together now and take us forward."
"A Britain that is simultaneously a great European power, and truly global in our range and ambitions."
"And whatever the bumps in the road ahead, I know that we will succeed."
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