Dame Sarah Mullally Named First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

• Dame Sarah Mullally has been elected as the future Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to serve in the role
• Her election is a milestone for the Anglican Church
• The Dalai Lama congratulated her and emphasized the value of compassion in leadership

Dame Sarah Mullally is the next Archbishop of Canterbury and the first female to occupy the role in the 491-year history of the Church of England.

The news was confirmed by Downing Street on Friday. Dame, aged 63, who converted to Christianity at 16, will replace Justin Welby, who stepped down in January amid criticism of his response to a child sex abuse scandal.

She will formally be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury upon her confirmation of election at St Paul's Cathedral in January 2026 with an installation service scheduled for Canterbury Cathedral later in March 2026.

Dame has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman to serve in that post. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the youngest ever to be appointed Chief Nursing Officer for England at the age of 37, previously having specialised as a cancer nurse.

Her appointment was put forward by the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury after a period of public consultation and discernment that started in February.

As the head bishop of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury carries out various functions, including serving as primus inter pares, or "first among equals," of the Archbishops of the global Anglican Communion of approximately 85 million members in 165 countries (including India). The Archbishop serves in the UK House of Lords.

The decision has been greeted by such leaders as Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, who called on other religious groups to do the same, pointing to Hindu scriptures about the dignity of women.

But Gafcon, an international group of conservative Anglicans opposed to women's ordination, said it does not recognize Dame as the leader of the Anglican Communion, citing matters of doctrine related to male-only episcopacy.