Canterbury: Sarah Mullally has been named the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street confirmed, nearly a year after Justin Welby stepped down following a safeguarding scandal.
This appointment is historic, marking the first time a woman has been chosen for the role since the Church of England allowed women to become bishops in 2014. The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church worldwide and holds a seat in the House of Lords.
During the interim period, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, assumed most of the responsibilities of the office and participated as one of the voting members of the body responsible for selecting Welby’s successor.
Hello, my name is Bishop Sarah Mullally.
I'm deeply honoured to have been called to serve as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.https://t.co/2FIJRUADZk pic.twitter.com/IqTgcfi7tp
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@OfficeofABC) October 3, 2025
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) approved Mullally’s appointment with a two-thirds majority vote. Following this agreement, in accordance with tradition, the CNC submitted her name to the prime minister, currently Keir Starmer, before passing it to the monarch.
Mullally will not legally take on the role until a confirmation of the election in January. Her enthronement service will take place later, following the formal act of paying homage to the king. This historic appointment represents a major milestone for gender equality within the Church of England and positions Mullally as a prominent figure in the global Anglican community.
Bishop Mullally, born in Woking in 1962, became a Christian at 16 and began her career as a nurse in the NHS, specialising in cancer care. At 37, she became the youngest Chief Nursing Officer for England and was later made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to nursing.
Ordained in 2001, Mullally served in the Diocese of Southwark before leaving her government role in 2004. She later became Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral in 2012, Suffragan Bishop of Crediton in 2015, and in 2018 was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Sarah Mullally is married to Eamonn and has two adult children, Liam and Grace.
MOST READ | Slovakia marks ‘dark day’ with rollback of LGBTQ+ rights
