Sarah Mullally

Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally (née Bowser; born 26 March 1962) is an Anglican bishop and former nurse who has served as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury since 28 January 2026. As archbishop, she is the leader of the Church of England and ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion. By virtue of her office she is also a lord spiritual, one of the 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Born in Woking, Surrey, Mullally received clinical training in nursing from St Thomas' Hospital. She practised nursing primarily in South London, where she also began her study for ministry in the Church of England. In 1999 she became chief nursing officer and director of patient experience for the English National Health Service. She left these roles in 2004 to pursue full-time ministry. For her service in nursing, Mullally was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

Mullally was ordained a priest in 2002 and began her ministry in the diocese of Southwark. She served in various London churches, and in 2012 became a canon of Salisbury Cathedral. In 2015, she was consecrated as bishop of Crediton, a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter, and in 2018 translated to the diocese of London, becoming the first female bishop of London.

Early life and education

Sarah Elisabeth Bowser was born in Woking, Surrey, on 26 March 1962, and has two sisters and one brother. She was educated at Winston Churchill Comprehensive School and then at Woking Sixth Form College.