Sarah Mullally Becomes First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

On 28 January 2026, Dame Sarah Mullally, 63, was confirmed as the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the 106th holder of the office. The ceremony took place at St Paul’s Cathedral, where legal and liturgical proceedings confirmed her election to replace Justin Welby. Mullally, formerly Bishop of London and a former Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health (1999‑2004), became the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion’s senior church. Her appointment follows just over a decade since England’s first female bishop and less than a year after Cherry Vann’s confirmation as Archbishop of Wales. King Charles accepted her allegiance, while Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols acknowledged the move, signalling inter‑church readiness for the historic change.