Sarah Mullally named as 106th archbishop of Canterbury, 1st woman to lead the Church of England | World News

Dame Sarah Mullally has been elected as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. This historic decision comes almost 1,400 years after the role was created.

The confirmation also came from a ceremony held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London; where the 63-year-old became the first woman to assume spiritual leadership of the Church of England in its nearly 500-year history.

Dane Sarah is now officially the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, according to Sky News.

She is married to a man named Eamonn Mullally and has two children.

Sarah was appointed in October 2025 following the resignation of her predecessor, Justin Welby, in November 2024, after an independent review concluded she could and should have reported decades of abuse against men and boys by a former friend.

Dame Sarah, a former cancer nurse turned cleric, officially took up her duties on Wednesday in a legal ceremony overseen by wigged judges.

When the lengthy appointment process was over and her selection was officially confirmed, Dame Sarah, originally from Woking, Surrey, stood before the congregation to a wave of enthusiastic applause.

The ceremony was briefly interrupted by a con artist after it was announced that no one had objected to the confirmation. The person was immediately taken out of the cathedral.

The bishops announced at the appropriate time that no objection had been made, and Dame Sarah swore allegiance to the English crown and church.

Its official installation is planned for March at Canterbury Cathedral.

In an interview after taking up her new role, Dame Sarah expressed her gratitude for the support she had received from “a wide range of people, including men in my ministry”.