Dame Sarah Mullally Becomes First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Dame Sarah Mullally, 63, was officially confirmed as the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury on 28 January 2026 in a ceremonial service at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The 106th Archbishop takes office 1,400 years after the role’s creation and 500 years after women were first allowed to serve in the church. Mullally is a former cancer nurse who became a cleric, married to Eamonn Mullally and mother of two. Her appointment follows Justin Welby’s resignation in November 2024 after an independent review uncovered failures to report abuse. The ceremony, presided over by ecclesiastical judges, was interrupted briefly by a heckler but ended with no formal objections.