LONDON -- The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, has been named the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, announced Lambeth Palace, the working and residential hub of the archbishop, on Friday.

King Charles III has approved the nomination, making Mullally the first woman to hold the Church of England's most senior clerical office since its establishment in 597 AD. She will be formally confirmed at St Paul's Cathedral in January and installed at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.

Born in Woking in 1962, Mullally has led the Diocese of London since 2018, another historic first for a woman. Earlier in her career, she was awarded the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to nursing.