For the first time in 1,400 years, a woman has been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England.

Sarah Mullally has been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury - the first time a woman will hold the position in the 1,400-year history of the position. The UK authorities announced this on October 3. Mullally will become the 106th archbishop, succeeding Justin Welby, who resigned amid a scandal over a church abuse cover-up.

She will be inaugurated in March 2026 at Canterbury Cathedral, following legal confirmation of her election in January at St Paul's Cathedral. With this decision, Mullally will also become the spiritual leader of approximately 85 million Anglicans worldwide. Mullally's appointment could heighten tensions with conservative parishes in African countries where women's priesthood is often not recognized, Reuters notes.

Mullally, a former chief nurse for England, has led the Diocese of London since 2018 and sat in the House of Lords as a Lord Bishop. She is known as an advocate for expanding the role of women in the church and allowing blessings for same-sex couples, although she advocates maintaining the traditional understanding of marriage.

Prime Minister Kiir Starmer called the appointment historic and said he looked forward to working with the new archbishop. Health Minister Wes Streeting described her as "the nurse who became an archbishop".