On June 23 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union. It was the greatest disaster to befall the bloc in its 59-year history.

The road ahead is unclear. No state has left the European Union before, and the rules for exit – contained in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon – are brief.

Here are some of the things we can expect over the coming months.

Article 50 – and a new deal

Britain's complex negotiations to exit the EU can only begin when Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon is formally triggered by the UK.

Theresa May says she will trigger Article 50 no later than the end of March 2017. The process is supposed to take two years but many people believe that it could take longer.

On Feb 8, the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was approved after around 40 hours of debate during which nine proposals to amend it were rejected by MPs.

Having cleared the House of Commons without any alterations with 494 votes to 122, the bill to pave the way for the formal Brexit process to begin under Article 50 of the EU treaties now passes to the House of Lords.