Sarah Mullally, 63, was confirmed at St Paul’s Cathedral as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury and will be formally enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25. A former chief nursing officer and the first woman to serve as Bishop of London, Mullally said she aims to lead with "calmness, consistency and compassion." Her appointment has drawn criticism from some conservative Anglican provinces and comes amid ongoing fallout from an independent abuse inquiry that prompted Justin Welby’s resignation.
Sarah Mullally Confirmed as First Female Archbishop of Canterbury in Historic London Service
Sarah Mullally (L) takes part in the 'Confirmation of Election' ceremony to legally confirm her position as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on January 28, 2026. (Jeff Moore)(Jeff Moore/POOL/AFP)
Sarah Mullally, a former nurse and senior National Health Service leader, was officially confirmed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The 63-year-old legally took up the office ahead of a formal enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25, after which she will begin her full programme of public ministry and engagements.
Ceremony and Immediate Reaction
The service was briefly interrupted by a protester who was escorted from the cathedral; officials said it was not immediately clear what the person shouted. Mullally told the congregation she hoped to lead with “calmness, consistency and compassion” in “times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world.”
“It is an extraordinary and humbling privilege to have been called to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury,” Mullally said in a statement.
Background And Significance
Mullally served more than three decades in the NHS, rising to become Chief Nursing Officer for England in 1999. She was ordained a priest in 2002 and in 2018 became the first woman to serve as Bishop of London—four years after the Church of England voted to allow women bishops. Her confirmation marks a historic moment for the Church of England, the mother church of an Anglican Communion estimated at some 85 million members worldwide.
Support, Opposition and Church Context
Her appointment has provoked resistance among some conservative provinces, particularly in parts of Africa; The Church of Uganda described the elevation last October as “sad news.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, second in rank in the Anglican hierarchy, said he hoped the church would learn from its “past failings” and become “simpler, humbler and bolder” as Mullally takes the figurative “baton.”
Mullally has described herself as a feminist and welcomed the Church of England’s 2023 decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, calling that move “a moment of hope for the church” while acknowledging differences remain.
Leadership Change Amid Scandal
The leadership transition follows Justin Welby’s resignation amid fallout from an independent inquiry into historic abuse. The report found the church had covered up a serial abuse case dating to the 1970s and concluded that John Smyth, who ran evangelical summer camps, abused as many as 130 boys and young men. The inquiry also found Welby failed to report allegations to authorities when they first came to his attention.
Looking Ahead
Mullally is married with two children. After her formal enthronement at Canterbury on March 25 she will begin public ministry in full. Observers say her tenure will be watched closely as she seeks to steer the church through contentious theological and cultural debates while addressing calls for accountability and reform.
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