Donald Trump has finally taken a congratulatory call from Theresa May in the wake of his seismic victory in the US Presidential battle.

The billionaire hailed his 'very, very special' bond with Britain as he spoke to the PM this afternoon.

Mr Trump also extended an invitation to visit Washington 'as soon as possible'.

But the incoming commander-in-chief had already talked to leaders from at least nine other countries including Turkey, Egypt and Ireland - causing speculation over a snub.

The President-elect is in the early stages of a huge round of calls to world leaders to mark his election. He is due to speak to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

Hopes have been raised that Donald Trump's election could herald a deepening of the special relationship between the US and UK

Theresa May made a statement welcoming Mr Trump's victory and has sent him a letter, but was behind nine other leaders in the queue of telephone calls

Hopes have been raised that the Republican is keen to strengthen ties, after he dismissed Barack Obama's jibe that we will be at the 'back of the queue' for a trade deal with the US after Brexit.

But there could be lingering tensions over the furious reaction to Mr Trump's suggestion at the end of last year that muslims could be barred from America to cut the risk of terrorism.

The comments were roundly condemned by David Cameron as 'stupid', while Mrs May branded them 'divisive and wrong'.

There was a further row when Mr Trump claimed parts of London were 'no go zones' because of extremism.

Mrs May has welcomed Mr Trump's victory and insisted she wants to work with him to deepen the special relationship.

THE LEADERS TRUMP TOOK CALLS FROM FIRST Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny: Mr Trump hailed the 'strong ties' between the two countries and invited Mr Kenny to attend the St Patrick's Day celebrations next year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Mr Erdogan expressed hope that there can be a resetting of relations between their countries. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: The President-elect invited him to visit the US 'at the first opportunity'. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi: A statement issued by the Egyptian presidency said: 'The U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his utmost appreciation to the president, pointing out that his was the first international call he had received to congratulate him on winning the election.' South Korean President Park Geun-hye: Mr Trump told the premier: 'We will be steadfast and strong with respect to working with you to protect against the instability in North Korea.' Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: The conversation with Mr Trump was described as 'constructive and practical'. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto: They had a 'cordial, friendly and respectful' conversation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: The leaders agreed they wanted to take their 'strategic partnership to a new height'. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: The premier told Mr Trump he was convinced that 'America will be made even greater'. Advertisement

Last night she sent a letter to the president-elect reiterating her desire to foster ties.

Downing Street said this morning that they would be speaking at the 'earliest opportunity'.

And it was later confirmed that the leaders chatted on the phone at around 1.45pm.

The President-elect - who formally takes office in January - invited Mrs May to visit as soon as possible.

A No10 spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister and President-elect Trump agreed that the US-UK relationship was very important and very special, and that building on this would be a priority for them both.

'President-elect Trump set out his close and personal connections with, and warmth for, the UK. He said he was confident that the special relationship would go from strength to strength.

'The Prime Minister expressed her commitment to building and expanding the UK's relationships around the world, particularly after the referendum vote, and the importance of our partnership with the US.

'She noted President-elect Trump's commitment in his acceptance speech to uniting people across America, which she said is a task we all need to focus on globally.

'The Prime Minister said that we have a long history of shared values and added that she looked forward to that continuing in the future.

'She highlighted her wish to strengthen bilateral trade and investment with the US as we leave the EU.

'But she said that our relationship is so much more than that and our two countries have always stood together as close allies when it counts the most. President-elect Trump strongly agreed and added that the UK is a "very, very special place for me and for our country".'

Chancellor Philip Hammond said the apparent delay in the call between Mrs May and Mr Trump was because they had no urgent business to discuss.

Boris Johnson, pictured today in Belgrade with his counterpart Ivica Dacic, will be waiting to hear who Mr Trump will appoint as his Secretary of State

Mr Johnson is on a one-day visit to Serbia and today called for continued talks between Kosovo and Serbia

But he said the 'special relationship' between the UK and US was 'alive and well' and 'strong and deep'.

Speaking after talks with Chinese counterparts at Lancaster House, central London, Mr Hammond said: 'We do not have any urgent business that we need to transact.

'Obviously, in due course the Prime Minister will be looking forward to meeting Mr Trump once he is inaugurated as the president.

'I expect that the very strong and close relationship that always develops between a UK prime minister and US president will develop between those two.'

Ukip leader Nigel Farage today made an extraordinary offer to become Mrs May's conduit to the new administration, after he formed an unlikely friendship with the property mogul during the US campaign.

Mr Trump has described his bombshell victory over Hillary Clinton this week as 'Brexit plus plus plus'.

Nigel Farage is planning to meet President-elect Donald Trump in New York on Saturday and deliver a speech in Florida, the key state that helped send him to the White House. Pictured, Mr Trump addresses his supporters in New York after being elected the 45th President yesterday

The Ukip figurehead said it was vital the pair form a close partnership and told his ally Mr Trump to 'come and schmooze Theresa, but added: 'Don't touch her, for goodness sake'.

Continuing the quip, he said he could 'be there as the responsible adult to make sure everything is OK.'

The distasteful joke was in reference to last month's revelations that Mr Trump had boasted that stars like him can 'do anything' to women, including grabbing them 'by the p***y'.

Former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith suggested in an article today that Mrs May and Mr Trump could forge an alliance along the lines of that between Reagan and Thatcher in the 1980s.

He urged ministers not to 'indulge in an orgy of complaint' that has characterised many UK responses to the Republican's triumph yesterday.

Instead Theresa May should 'engage with the new administration in a positive way' and 'reinvigorate' our relationship with America, the former Tory leader wrote in an article on the ConservativeHome website.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured left) spoke to Mr Trump, and said his election could be a chance to reset relations with the US. South Korean President Park Geun-hye also had a conversation with the President-elect

Mr Trump had already managed to have conversations with Irish premier Enda Kenny, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt.

He has also spoken to leaders of Mexico, Israel, India, Japan, Australia and South Korea.

In their phone call, Mr Erdogan expressed his hope that there can be a resetting of relations between their countries.

TRUMP VICTORY GIVES US THE CHANCE TO REPAIR THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP - IDS Donald Trump's election as US President gives Britain the chance to repair the 'special relationship,' former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said today. He urged ministers not to 'indulge in an orgy of complaint' that has characterised many UK responses to the Republican's triumph yesterday. Instead Theresa May should 'engage with the new administration in a positive way' and 'reinvigorate' our relationship with America, the former Tory leader wrote in an article on the ConservativeHome website. Mr Duncan Smith, who served as Work and Pensions Secretary in David Cameron's government, said the 'special relationship' had come under strain with President Obama in the White House but said of Mr Trump's victory: 'This is where an opportunity opens up for the UK. 'Notwithstanding the fact that we are bound on a course that takes us out of the EU, we should seize this opportunity to engage the new administration and remind them of our enduring friendship in good times and in bad. 'A positive tone of support and assistance will reinvigorate a relationship which has the potential to help us both.' Advertisement

Describing his conversation with Mr Trump, Mr Kenny's spokesman said: 'The president-elect confirmed to the Taoiseach that in the spirit of the strong ties between the two countries, the long-standing tradition of Taoisigh attending the White House for St Patrick's Day celebrations would continue and extended an invitation to the Taoiseach in that regard for next year, 2017.'

After Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Mr Trump on the phone yesterday, a statement issued by his office said: 'President-elect Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States at the first opportunity.'

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke to Mr Trump yesterday. A statement issued by the Egyptian presidency said: 'The U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his utmost appreciation to the president, pointing out that his was the first international call he had received to congratulate him on winning the election.

'President Trump said he looked forward to meeting the president soon.'

Mr Trump is said to have told South Korean President Park Geun-hye: 'We will be steadfast and strong with respect to working with you to protect against the instability in North Korea.'

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described his conversation with Trump yesterday as 'constructive and practical'.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto congratulated Mr Trump on his election in a phone call last night. He said it was a 'cordial, friendly and respectful' chat.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Trump agreed that they wanted to take their 'strategic partnership to a new height'.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Mr Trump he was convinced that 'America will be made even greater'.

In his discussion with Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny Mr Trump hailed the 'strong ties' between the two countries and invited him to attend the St Patrick's Day celebrations next year

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mr Trump are said to have had a 'cordial, friendly and respectful' conversation. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was the first leader to speak to Mr Trump after his victory yesterday

Nigel Farage, pictured in Barcelona yesterday, has told Theresa May he can be her link to Donald Trump as the UK Government scrambles to smooth relations with the President-elect. Mr Farage joined the billionaire on stage at a rally in Jackson, Mississippi in August

OSBORNE GETS CAUGHT UP IN ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST IN US George Osborne tweeted a picture from Manhattan last night where he was caught up in an anti-Trump protest George Osborne witnessed first-hand the anger at the election of Donald Trump after getting caught up in the middle of a protest in New York last night. He tweeted a picture of a group of youngsters carrying placards voicing their opposition to the controversial Republican, who shocked the world by beating Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's election. The picture, taken in Manhattan last night, shows one protester holding a sign showing Mr Trump's face next to Adolf Hitler's along with the words: 'History is about to repeat'. Mr Osborne, who backed Hillary Clinton in the election campaign, tweeted: 'Came across this anti-Trump protest here in New York last night - can't help wondering how many of them voted.' Since being sacked as Chancellor by Theresa May in the summer Mr Osborne has joined the lucrative after-dinner speaking circuit, charging up to £70,000 per appearance and has made several trips to the US. New entries in Mr Osborne's parliamentary register of interests last week revealed he was expecting to receive £69,992 from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association in Washington for speeches totalling one-and-a-half hours on September 27 and October 18. And he was also due to be paid £28,454.40 for a speech on October 17 to the Hoover Institution at California's Stanford University. Travel and accommodation expenses were also being covered by Mr Osborne's hosts. In his final days as Chancellor in May he defied the convention that British politicians do not express their preferences on elections abroad by revealing his support for Mrs Clinton. Asked who he wanted to win the presidential race, Mr Osborne said: 'We look forward to working with whoever the next president is, whoever she may be.' Advertisement



