Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and primate of the Church of England. In this role, they oversee the Diocese of Canterbury as its diocesan bishop, serve as the metropolitan for the Province of Canterbury, and act as the ceremonial leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Beyond these church duties, the archbishop is one of the 26 Anglican bishops who hold seats in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual. The current officeholder, Dame Sarah Mullally, was confirmed on 28 January 2026, becoming the 106th archbishop and the first woman to hold the position.

The office traces its origins to Augustine, known as the "Apostle to the English," who was sent by Pope Gregory the Great and arrived in England in 597. From Augustine through William Warham, all archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the Catholic Church. During the English Reformation, King Henry VIII broke with Rome and declared himself head of the Church of England. Thomas Cranmer, appointed in 1533 with initial approval from Rome, became the first Protestant archbishop and a key figure in shaping Anglicanism.

The British monarch appoints the archbishop on the advice of the prime minister, with a formal election by the college of canons of Canterbury Cathedral. In practice, the Crown Nominations Commission, a Church of England body, selects candidates and advises the prime minister.

The archbishop currently fulfills four main roles. First, as bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, which covers the eastern parts of Kent and is the oldest see in the English church, founded in 597. Second, as metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Canterbury, covering the southern two-thirds of England. Third, as the senior primate and chief religious figure of the Church of England (the British sovereign is the supreme governor). Alongside the Archbishop of York, they chair the General Synod and sit on or chair many church boards and committees; however, power in the church is not highly centralized, so the archbishops often lead through persuasion. The Archbishop of Canterbury also plays a central role in national ceremonies like coronations and, due to a high public profile, their opinions are frequently sought by news media. Fourth, as spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop is recognized by convention as *primus inter pares* ("first among equals") among all Anglican primates worldwide, though they hold no legal authority outside England. Since 1867, the archbishop has convened the Lambeth Conferences, roughly decennial meetings of worldwide Anglican bishops. In the last two roles, they also have an important ecumenical and interfaith function, speaking on behalf of Anglicans in England and globally.

The archbishop's main residence is Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth. They also have lodgings at the Old Palace in Canterbury, located beside Canterbury Cathedral, where the Chair of St Augustine sits. As holder of one of the "five great sees" (alongside York, London, Durham, and Winchester), the archbishop is *ex officio* a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords. They are among the highest-ranking people in England and the highest-ranking non-royal in the United Kingdom's order of precedence.

Since Henry VIII broke with Rome, the English (and, after the 1707 Act of Union, British) monarch has selected the archbishops of Canterbury. Since the 20th century, appointments have conventionally alternated between Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals. The previous archbishop, Justin Welby, was the 105th holder, enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. He signed himself as + Justin Cantuar. On 12 November 2024, he announced his resignation, effective 7 January 2025. As of 2026, two other former archbishops were still living: George Carey (born 1935), the 103rd archbishop, and Rowan Williams (born 1950), the 104th.

The archbishop holds numerous additional positions. They are joint president of the Council of Christians and Jews in the United Kingdom. Some roles are held *ex officio*, while others are virtually so (the incumbent is appointed personally because of their office). These include: Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University; Visitor for All Souls College, Oxford, Selwyn College, Cambridge, Merton College, Oxford, Keble College, Oxford, Ridley Hall, Cambridge, the University of Kent, King's College London, the University of King's College, Sutton Valence School, Benenden School, Cranbrook School, Haileybury and Imperial Service College, Harrow School, King's College School, Wimbledon, The King's School, Canterbury, St John's School, Leatherhead, Marlborough College, Dauntsey's School, and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford (also Patron); Governor of Charterhouse School and Wellington College; Visitor of The Dulwich Charities, the Whitgift Foundation, and the Hospital of the Blessed Trinity, Guildford (Abbot's Fund); Trustee of Bromley College and Allchurches Trust; President of the Corporation of Church House, Westminster; Director of the Canterbury Diocesan Board of Finance; Patron of St Edmund's School Canterbury, the University of King's College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, Prisoners Abroad, the Kent Savers Credit Union, and Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries.

In ecumenical and interfaith work, the archbishop is also a president of Churches Together in England. Geoffrey Fisher, the 99th archbishop, was the first since 1397 to visit Rome, holding private talks with Pope John XXIII in 1960.