The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and primate of the Church of England. In this capacity, they are the diocesan bishop of the diocese of Canterbury, the metropolitan of the province of Canterbury, and the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Ecclesial functions aside, the archbishop is also one of the 26 Anglican bishops who sit in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual. The 106th archbishop is Dame Sarah Mullally, who was confirmed on 28 January 2026 and is the first woman to hold the office.
The first archbishop of Canterbury was Augustine, the "Apostle to the English", who was sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great and arrived in 597. From Augustine until William Warham the archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the Catholic Church. During the English Reformation, King Henry VIII broke communion with Rome and proclaimed himself the head of the Church of England. Thomas Cranmer, appointed in 1533, initially with Rome's approval, thereafter became the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury and would become one of the most important figures in the development of Anglicanism.
The archbishop is appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the prime minister of the United Kingdom and formally elected by the college of canons of Canterbury Cathedral. In practice, however, candidates are chosen by the Crown Nominations Commission, a Church of England body which advises the prime minister.
Currently, the archbishop fills four main roles:
Bishop of the diocese of Canterbury, which covers the eastern parts of the County of Kent. Founded in 597, it is the oldest see in the English church.
Metropolitan archbishop of the province of Canterbury, which covers the southern two-thirds of England.
The senior primate and chief religious figure of the Church of England (the British sovereign is the supreme governor of the church). Along with their colleague the archbishop of York they chair the General Synod, and sit on or chair many of the church's important boards and committees; power in the church is not highly centralised, however, so the two archbishops can often lead only through persuasion. The archbishop of Canterbury plays a central part in national ceremonies such as coronations; due to their high public profile, their opinions are often in demand by the news media.
Spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. The archbishop, although without legal authority outside England, is recognised by convention as primus inter pares ("first among equals") of all Anglican primates worldwide. Since 1867 the archbishop has convened approximately decennial meetings of worldwide Anglican bishops, the Lambeth Conferences.
In the last two of these functions, they have an important ecumenical and interfaith role, speaking on behalf of Anglicans in England and worldwide.
The archbishop's main residence is Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth. They also have lodgings in the Old Palace, Canterbury, located beside Canterbury Cathedral, where the Chair of St Augustine sits.
As holder of one of the "five great sees" (the others being York, London, Durham and Winchester), the archbishop of Canterbury is ex officio one of the Lords Spiritual of the House of Lords. They are one of 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 archbishops of Canterbury have been selected by the English (British since the Act of Union in 1707) monarch. Since the 20th century, the appointment of archbishops of Canterbury conventionally alternates between Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.
The previous archbishop, Justin Welby, was the 105th holder of the office; he was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. As archbishop he signed himself as + Justin Cantuar. On 12 November 2024, he announced his decision to resign; he did so effective 7 January 2025.
Two other former archbishops were living as of 2026: George Carey (born 1935), the 103rd archbishop; and Rowan Williams (born 1950), the 104th archbishop.
In addition to their office, the archbishop holds a number of other positions; for example, they are joint president of the Council of Christians and Jews in the United Kingdom. Some positions they formally hold ex officio and others virtually so (the incumbent of the day, although appointed personally, is appointed because of their office). Amongst these are:
Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University
Visitor for the following academic institutions:
The University of Kent (main campus located in Canterbury)