Sarah Mullally Appointed as First Woman Leader of the Church of England

Dame Sarah Mullally has been appointed as the pioneering woman head of the Church of England, with official sources revealing the top cleric of Canterbury almost twelve months following Welby stepping down over the handling of a safeguarding scandal.

This represents the inaugural instance an leader of the Anglican church has been appointed since the Church of England opened the episcopate to women in 2014.

The leader is seen as the religious head of the Anglican church worldwide and also possesses a role in the Lords.

The York’s archbishop Stephen Cottrell handled key tasks during the transition period, and was one of the voting members of the committee tasked with appointing the new leader.

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) had to endorse the candidate by a two-thirds consensus. After agreement, as per protocol, the process involves a name being given to the prime minister – in this case Keir Starmer and then forwarded to the king.

The new archbishop will not formally assume the role until a electoral confirmation in January, with an induction rite scheduled afterward, after homage is rendered to the monarch.