Archbishop of Canterbury: Role, History, and Current Office Holder

Sarah Mullally became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on 25 March 2026, when she was installed at Canterbury Cathedral as the first woman to hold the office in the Church of England’s 1,400-year history.

Her appointment had been announced months earlier. On 3 October 2025, she was named Archbishop of Canterbury designate, and the appointment was approved by King Charles III. She succeeded Justin Welby, whose resignation was announced in 2024. In official terms, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop of the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The office she now holds traces back to the arrival of Augustine of Canterbury in 597, and its responsibilities extend far beyond England.

Who is the current Archbishop of Canterbury?

Sarah Mullally, who had served as Bishop of London before the appointment, is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. Public profiles identify her as Dame Sarah Mullally and also note her earlier career as a former chief nursing officer. Coverage of her path to the role has often described her as a cancer nurse turned archbishop.

• Sarah Mullally’s installation on 25 March 2026 made her the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
• The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop of the Church of England.
• The same office serves as spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
• The role is described as “first among equals” among Anglican bishops, not as a position of absolute authority.
• The appointment is approved by the monarch on the recommendation of the Crown Nominations Commission.
• Mullally came to the role from the Bishopric of London and an earlier career as chief nursing officer.
• The office traces back to Augustine of Canterbury, who arrived from Rome in 597.

What does the Archbishop of Canterbury do?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Church of England’s most senior cleric and is described as “first among equals” among the bishops of the Anglican Communion. The position is one of seniority and spiritual leadership within a worldwide family of self-governing churches.

What is the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England?

The Archbishop is the senior bishop and primate of the Church of England. In that capacity, the office also carries the role of diocesan bishop for the Diocese of Canterbury. The holder of the office therefore combines a national leadership function with direct responsibility for a local diocese.

What is the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican Communion?

Beyond England, the Archbishop serves as a focus of unity for the Anglican Communion, a global fellowship commonly described as having about 85 million members. Each province of the Communion manages its own affairs, but Canterbury remains the spiritual point of reference for the whole.

Is the Archbishop of Canterbury Catholic or Protestant?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is an Anglican bishop in the Church of England. The office belongs to the Anglican tradition and stands outside the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The Church of England itself emerged from the Protestant Reformation, even though it preserved certain Catholic forms of liturgy and church order.

What is the relationship between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope?

The Church of England is separate from the Roman Catholic Church, and the Archbishop of Canterbury holds no position in Rome’s hierarchy. Relations between the two churches are ecumenical rather than administrative. Vatican News reported on Mullally’s appointment in the context of that ongoing ecumenical dialogue.

Is the Archbishop of Canterbury the head of the Church of England?

As the most senior cleric in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is often described informally as the head of the Church of England. The role is best understood as the most senior episcopal office in the Church rather than a position of executive control over every part of the institution.

How is the Archbishop of Canterbury appointed and installed?

The appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury follows a formal church process. The Crown Nominations Commission recommends a name to the monarch, who approves it. The government’s announcement, Appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury – 3 October 2025, recorded the King’s approval of Mullally’s nomination.

How is the Archbishop of Canterbury chosen?

The Crown Nominations Commission is the church body that puts a name forward. After the monarch’s approval, the process continues with the confirmation of election, a legal step in which the archbishop-elect is confirmed in the new see. For Mullally, the confirmation of election was reported for January 2026.

How is the Archbishop of Canterbury installed?

The sequence reported for Mullally ran from nomination and confirmation of election through an act of homage or recognition to the formal installation at Canterbury Cathedral. The installation service on 25 March 2026 marked the beginning of her public ministry in the role. During her transition from Bishop of London, Mullally was reported to remain based at The Old Deanery until early 2026. The Anglican Communion also published a detailed account of the ceremony.

What is the history of the Archbishop of Canterbury and who was the first?

The office dates back to St. Augustine of Canterbury, who arrived in Kent from Rome in 597 and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. The line of holders has continued from that point to the present, with Sarah Mullally counted as the 106th.

1. 597 — Augustine of Canterbury arrives from Rome and becomes the first Archbishop.
2. 1070s–1530s — Medieval archbishops include Anselm, Thomas Becket (martyred in 1170) and Stephen Langton, associated with Magna Carta.
3. 1534 — The break with Rome under Henry VIII establishes the Church of England; Thomas Cranmer becomes Archbishop.
4. 1559 — The Elizabethan Settlement; archbishops such as Matthew Parker consolidate the Protestant identity.
5. 1640s–1660 — Civil War and Commonwealth; William Laud is executed and the office is briefly abolished.
6. 1800s–1900s — Archbishops including William Temple, Geoffrey Fisher and Michael Ramsey lead the modern Church.
7. 2013 — Justin Welby becomes the 105th Archbishop.
8. 2024 — Welby’s resignation is announced.
9. 3 October 2025 — Sarah Mullally is named Archbishop designate.
10. 25 March 2026 — Mullally is installed as the 106th Archbishop, the first woman to hold the office.

The Anglican Communion’s dedicated account of the ceremony, Installation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, provides a full description of the 2026 service.

What is certain about the Archbishop of Canterbury and what remains unclear?

Several facts about the office and its current holder are firmly established, while other details are not documented in the public accounts of the appointment.

Why does the office of Archbishop of Canterbury matter?

Sarah Mullally’s appointment is part of a wider change inside the Church of England, which decided in 2014 to allow women bishops. Her background as a former chief nursing officer was widely noted in coverage of the installation.

The Archbishop’s role in the Anglican Communion has also changed over time. From a colonial-era figure, the office has evolved into a symbolic unifier at a time when provinces disagree over doctrine, including questions of sexuality and authority. Governance rests with each province, which is why the office is described as a focus of unity rather than a source of command.

The installation of a new Archbishop therefore draws attention well beyond England. Canterbury remains a global office, and its holder is watched by Anglicans in many countries.

What do official sources say about the new Archbishop?

The Anglican Communion’s account of the installation is direct about the historical nature of the event.

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on 25 March 2026 – the first woman to hold the office.

Anglican Communion, installation announcement

Standard reference works describe the underlying office in plainer terms.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and primate of the Church of England. In this capacity, they are the diocesan bishop of the diocese of Canterbury.

Wikipedia – Archbishop of Canterbury

What is the bottom line on the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Sarah Mullally is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to lead the Church of England in its 1,400-year history. Her installation on 25 March 2026 completed a transition that moved through nomination, royal approval, confirmation of election, and an act of homage before the service at Canterbury Cathedral. The office she holds remains what it has been since 597: the senior bishopric of the Church of England and a spiritual reference point for the worldwide Anglican Communion.

What else do people ask about the Archbishop of Canterbury?