England: Sarah Mullally has officially begun her tenure as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1,400-year history of the role, marking a transformative moment for the Church of England.
Her new position was formally marked during a ceremonial service held at Canterbury Cathedral, where she followed tradition by striking the cathedral’s west door three times. The event signified the beginning of her Public Ministry as both head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The ceremony drew more than 2,000 attendees, including Prince William, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the UK Prime Minister. Representatives from all 42 member churches of the Anglican Communion were present, alongside delegates from the Vatican and the Orthodox Church.
Come with us to Canterbury Cathedral for an historic occasion – the installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally.
If you didn't get the chance to watch the service earlier, you can catch up at https://t.co/MTJJHitMFa. pic.twitter.com/AfoD5ku6D2
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) March 25, 2026
During the service, Sarah Mullally took her Corporal Oath using The St John’s Bible, marking the first time this historic text has been used for such a purpose. She smiled broadly as she was welcomed by the congregation as the 106th person to assume the role.
Although Mullally was appointed in October and formally confirmed during a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in January, this event represented the symbolic start of her leadership.
The Dean of Canterbury, David Monteith, highlighted the significance of the moment, stating that the appointment of a female archbishop “would have almost been unimaginable even 50 years ago,” adding, “Today matters.”
At 63, Sarah Mullally has a history of breaking new ground. Before entering the clergy, she worked as a cancer nurse and became England’s youngest Chief Nursing Officer at the age of 37. In a personal tribute to her medical career, she secured her ceremonial cloak with a buckle from the belt she wore as a nurse.
Early life of Sarah Mullally
Mullally was ordained as a priest at the age of 40 and has since experienced a rapid rise within the church. The Church of England ordained its first female priests in 1994 and consecrated its first female bishop in 2015, the same year Mullally became the fourth woman to reach that rank. Three years later, she was appointed Bishop of London, one of the most senior positions in the church.
Her appointment is widely seen as a milestone, but it also comes during ongoing divisions within the Anglican Communion, particularly over issues such as the role of women and the treatment of LGBT+ individuals.
Sarah Mullally succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 after facing criticism for not taking decisive action or informing police about allegations of physical and sexual abuse involving a volunteer at a church-affiliated summer camp.
As she begins her tenure, one of Mullally’s immediate priorities will be addressing concerns over safeguarding and tackling the long-running sexual abuse scandals that have affected the church for more than a decade, while also working to unify a divided global communion.
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