Sarah Mullally named as 106th archbishop of Canterbury, 1st woman to lead the Church of England

Dane Sarah is now officially the 106th Archbishop of the Canterbury. The historic move has been taken 1,400 years after the role was created.

Dame Sarah Mullally has been named as the first-ever female Archbishop of Canterbury. This historic decision has been taken almost 1,400 years after the role was created.

The confirmation also came from the ceremony held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where the 63-year-old became the first woman to assume the spiritual leadership of the Church of England in its nearly 500-year history.

Dane Sarah is now officially the 106th Archbishop of the Canterbury, according to Sky News.

She is married to a man named Eamonn Mullally and has two children. 

Sarah was appointed in October 2025, following the resignation of her predecessor, Justin Welby, in November 2024, after an independent review concluded that he "could and should" have reported decades-long abuse of men and boys by a former friend.

Dame Sarah, a former cancer nurse turned cleric, formally assumed her duties on Wednesday during a legal ceremony overseen by bewigged judges.

As the lengthy appointment process concluded and her election was officially confirmed, Dame Sarah, originally from Woking, Surrey, stood before the congregation to a wave of enthusiastic applause.

The ceremony was briefly disrupted by a heckler just as it was announced that no one had objected to the confirmation. The individual was promptly escorted out of the cathedral.

The bishops announced that no objection has been made on an appropriate time and Dame Sarah took oath of allegiance to the British crown and the church. 

Her formal installation is scheduled for March at Canterbury Cathedral.

 In an interview upon assuming her new role, Dame Sarah expressed her gratitude for the support she has received from “a wide range of people, including men, in my ministry.”