After Thursday's general election, the Conservatives failed to secure the 326 seats needed to form a majority government and will now seek to stay in power with the informal backing of the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
She said: "That is why I think at this critical time for our country it is important to form a government in the national interest".
Senior Tory figures also cast doubts about May's leadership.
The DUP is the only party that would realistically help the Conservatives resist a no-confidence motion in parliament.
Well, the mandate she's got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence.
Last year, its leader Arlene Foster said: "I would not want abortion to be as freely available here as it is in England".
Britain's home secretary has narrowly avoided defeat in the general election, holding on to her seat in Parliament by 346 votes after a recount.
Mrs May was working on a Cabinet reshuffle, although the election result makes it less likely she will risk alienating colleagues by making wholesale changes as she can not afford to have disgruntled former ministers sniping at her from the backbenches.
A number of high-profile government figures including Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson have already confirmed they are keeping their jobs in the wake of an election that saw the Tories lose 13 seats.
May, who accepted victory in her Maidenhead constituency, still asserted her party had won the most seats and insisted long-term stability remained.
Osuigwe wins all-American girls' final in Paris
However, as was the case in the opener, Halep hit straight back, with Ostapenko climbing up to 41 unforced errors for the match. The 20-year-old Ostapenko hit 14 winners but made 23 unforced errors, while Halep made just two but only hit one victor .
The nursery worker said he was "angry" that Mrs May had done a deal with the DUP, although he admitted he did not initially know who they were.
The Conservative setback was only matched by the Scottish Nationalist Party's (SNP) loss of 21 seats.
It is understood the initial discussions will include the possibility of making a formal coalition, such as the one the Conservatives made with the Liberal Democrats in 2010.
May's Downing St. office said Conservative Chief Whip Gavin Williamson was in Belfast Saturday for talks with the DUP "on how best they can provide support to the government".
Northern Ireland is the only area of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriages are not legal and the DUP used a controversial "petition of concern" to veto its legalisation in 2016.
"It's an issue very close to my heart and one that I wanted categoric assurances from the prime minister on, and I received (them)".
She reportedly abandoned plans for a major reshuffle of her cabinet to keep her senior Tory party colleagues on her side.
As it now seems clear the DUP will prop up the reeling Conservative government in Westminster, that accord demonstrates that while the party is rigid in its convictions it can also embrace a flexible pragmatism.
But the DUP's support might come with preconditions about the future of Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, riding a wave of acclaim for his party's unexpectedly strong showing, called on May to resign.
Comments