The Church of England has appointed Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to hold the position in the church’s nearly 500-year history.

Her appointment, approved by King Charles, took effect on Friday, October 3. Mullally, 63, now becomes the spiritual leader of about 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

Ordained Bishop of London in 2018, she was previously the church’s third most senior cleric, ranking after the archbishops of Canterbury and York.

Before joining the clergy, Mullally built a distinguished career in healthcare. She worked as a nurse in London hospitals and rose to become England’s chief nursing officer and director of patient experience in the National Health Service (NHS), a role she assumed at the age of 37.

Her appointment follows almost a year-long leadership vacuum after the resignation of Justin Welby, who stepped down over criticism of his handling of a child abuse case. Following a public consultation that began in February, the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) recommended her for the role.

Mullally had already broken ground in 2018 as the first woman to be appointed Bishop of London at St Paul’s Cathedral, cementing her reputation as a trailblazer within the Anglican Communion.