If anything sums up the problems faced by Theresa May in Brussels this week, it is the pair of videos that emerged on social media on Thursday showing her apparent struggle to integrate with other EU leaders.

The Prime Minister was attending talks along with the rest of the European Council but, in a first for the bloc, she will later be excluded from a dinner involving the other 27 heads of state.

During the dinner, informal discussions are expected to take place in which the remaining EU national leaders begin to set out the bloc’s Brexit negotiating position.

They will also appoint a chief negotiator to represent the Council in talks, with most expecting former European Commissioner Michel Barnier to get the nod.

And despite the awkward and unusual dynamic at Thursday’s summit, Ms May adopted a gracious tone regarding her lack of an invite to dinner.

"I welcome the fact that the other leaders will be meeting to discuss Brexit tonight as we are going to invoke Article 50, trigger the negotiations by the end of March next year," May told reporters.

"It's right that the other leaders prepare for those negotiations as we have been preparing. We will be leaving the EU. We want that to be as smooth and as orderly a process as possible. It's not just in our interests, it's in the interests of the rest of Europe as well."

Summit chair Donald Tusk said in a tweet that Ms May will update the leaders beforehand "on Brexit preparations”.

A joint statement will be released after the dinner by the 27 leaders. According to a draft, they will indicate they are ready to start talks with London and negotiate swiftly, to stick together to preserve the Union and to ensure Britain does not retain EU benefits, for instance on trade access, if it shirks obligations, such as accepting EU migrants.