Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally has become the first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury, some 1,400 years after the role was created.
The Bishop of London will lead the Church of England (CoE), replacing Justin Welby nearly a year after he resigned following a damning review into the institution’s handling of a sexual abuse scandal.
Here’s what we know about the new archbishop.
When did she become the Bishop of London?
Dame Sarah, 63, became London’s bishop in December 2017, placing her in the Church’s third most senior position behind the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
She used her first day in the role to call for a more diverse line-up of leaders across Britain’s churches.
“If our churches are going to be more relevant to our communities, that means increasing churches that are led by priests that are women, who come from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups,” she said.
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“London is a very diverse city and I would hope that everybody can find a spiritual home and a place where they can encounter the love of Jesus Christ that I have come to know.”
What did she do before becoming a bishop?
Dame Sarah was the Department of Health’s chief nursing officer from 1999 to 2004, starting as the youngest person to ever get the role.
Her position as the government’s top nurse saw her advise senior civil servants and the then-prime minister Tony Blair on NHS policy, during which time she introduced Europe’s first patient survey in a bid to understand the experiences of those who used the health service – which she said was her proudest achievement.
The mother-of-two, who is married to Eamonn Mullally, left in 2004 having been ordained three years prior, climbing the ranks of the Church to become Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
She received her damehood in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery.
How has she responded to the CoE’s abuse scandal?
Dame Sarah condemned “shocking abuse” within the CoE after an independent review reported its cover-up of crimes by barrister John Smyth QC, who abused as many as 130 boys and young men at Christian summer camps.
It was the same report that eventually led her predecessor Mr Welby to step down as archbishop.
Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips in February, she said there would be some “very clear proposals” around safeguarding, conduct and governance moving forward.
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“[Over] the last three or four months, it has become apparent to people the shocking abuse within the church. And my heart goes out to the victims and to the survivors,” Dame Sarah said.
“I’m very conscious of, one, the bravery of them coming forward, but also the shocking abuse that occurred to them and the way in which the church failed to address it properly. And it means that we all have to, in terms of apologising to them, we all have to do something.”
She also told Phillips she would not be the next archbishop, despite this being the first time women were eligible for the role. She did not explain why she held that view.
What are some of her other views?
Dame Sarah has been outspoken on several contentious topics surrounding the church since becoming bishop.
She brought forward a motion to offer blessings to same sex-couples in civil partnerships and marriages, which the CoE voted in favour of in 2023.
Approval of the motion allowed same-sex couples to attend Anglican churches after a legal marriage ceremony for services including prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and a blessing.
But it stopped short of seeking to change the position on gay marriage, meaning same-sex couples are still unable to marry in church.
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After the vote, Dame Sarah said: “This is a moment of hope for the Church.
“I know that what we have proposed as a way forward does not go nearly far enough for many but too far for others.
“It is my prayer that what has been agreed today will represent a step forward for all of us within the Church – including LGBTQI+ people – as we remain committed to walking together.”
Dame Sarah has been critical of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted dying under specific circumstances.
She has spoken in the House of Lords of her “deep concerns” and “grave fears” regarding the bill’s “potential to disproportionately impact the most vulnerable in our society”.
