Sarah Mullally has been named the first woman to lead the Church of England as Archbishop of Canterbury in its 1,400-year history.
The Church of England announced on Friday that Dame Sarah Mullally, currently Bishop of London, will become its first female Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a historic breach in an institution led exclusively by men until now.
Mullally, aged 63 and formerly a chief nursing officer, is set to assume the role in early 2026 following a formal enthronement ceremony. In her address at Canterbury Cathedral, she acknowledged the moment as “a historic moment – a joyous one for many,” and pledged to be “a shepherd, who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish – whatever our tradition.”
Her appointment comes amid a fraught period for the Church, riddled by controversies over sexual abuse, safeguarding failures, and internal divisions on theology and social issues. Mullally condemned “our history of safeguarding failures” and vowed the Church must “have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role.”