C of E Bishop Sarah Mullally of London

King Charles has approved the nomination of the Church of England Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Anglican Church.

As the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold that office – following her installation in Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.

Prior to her ordination in 2001, Dame Sarah Mullally was the UK Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England, having previously specialised as a cancer nurse.

The appointment will undoubtedly be of interest to Pope Leo XIV – under growing pressure to ordain women as deacons in the Catholic Church but on record as being opposed personally to that step.

For the full Church of England report of Bishop Sarah Mullally’s appointment, click here.