What happens when the archbishop of Canterbury is enthroned?

On March 25, 2026, Sarah Mullally was installed as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman in the more than 1,400-year history of the office. The installation, or enthronement, of a new archbishop of Canterbury—the senior bishop of the Church of England and of the global Anglican Communion—marks the ceremonial beginning of the archbishop’s public ministry. By the time the service takes place, the archbishop has already been formally elected and legally confirmed in the office, but the installation is more than pageantry. Taking place at Canterbury Cathedral, the cathedral church of the diocese and the historic seat of the office, the ceremony is rich with a deeply symbolic liturgy in which each action points to the sacred responsibilities of the office itself.

The installation ceremony is rooted in centuries of tradition, even as each new archbishop brings distinct emphases and priorities. Mullally’s ceremony, for example, stressed ecumenism and unity in a communion fraught with tension over her historic and controversial appointment, and included readings and sections in Swahili, Urdu, and Spanish. Similarly, her predecessor, Justin Welby, sought to highlight the diversity and depth of the Anglican faith at his 2013 installation.

One of the first ceremonial moments takes place at the cathedral’s west door, where the archbishop is received and welcomed into the cathedral. The archbishop knocks on the door with a pastoral staff and humbly requests admission to the cathedral. In addition to the aspects unique to the ceremony itself, the installation includes a celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) with prayers for the Diocese of Canterbury, the Church of England, and the Anglican Communion. The homily during the liturgy of the Word marks the archbishop’s first sermon as archbishop.

Given Canterbury’s international significance, the enthronement is attended by representatives from across the Anglican Communion and from other faith traditions. Members of the British royal family are also present, reflecting the historical relationship between church and crown, and the archbishop pays homage to the sovereign, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales—who were representing King Charles III—attended Mullally’s installation. Although required oaths—such as allegiance to the sovereign and canonical obedience—are taken at the earlier election and confirmation ceremonies, the installation service does include a number of formal declarations or reaffirmations connected to the archbishop’s ministry.

At the heart of the ceremony is the act of enthronement, in which the archbishop is formally seated in the cathedral’s two symbolic chairs. The first is the strikingly Gothic diocesan throne, which sits in the cathedral choir and dates from the Victorian era. By sitting in this throne, the archbishop claims the role of diocesan bishop of Canterbury, the chief pastor of the local diocese.

The second chair is the medieval Chair of St. Augustine, the church’s cathedra (the bishop’s chair from which the word cathedral is derived), which has been used for this purpose since at least the 13th century. This marble throne is named for St. Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century missionary who was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to evangelize Anglo-Saxon England and became the first archbishop of Canterbury. When seated in this historic chair, the new archbishop takes possession of the see as primate of all England and stands in continuity with more than a millennium of Christian leadership in England.

Another striking moment of the ceremony is traditionally the presentation of the ancient Canterbury Gospels, which St. Augustine of Canterbury may have brought to England in 597. The precious illuminated manuscript is kept at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and is brought to Canterbury for each installation. After professing an oath of faithfulness to observe the customs of the cathedral, the archbishop may place a hand upon it or kiss it. The act of professing an oath on a sacred text not only signals fidelity to the Gospel message but also underscores the primacy of scripture to the archbishop’s ministry, a fitting gesture for the nominal leader of one of the largest branches of Christianity.

However, Mullally’s ceremony marked a notable departure from this custom. Instead of the Canterbury Gospels, she laid her hand upon an edition of the Saint John’s Bible (2011), the first modern Bible to be used in an enthronement ceremony since 1945. Described as a Bible “for the 21st century,” this illuminated work blends ancient artistic traditions with a modern vision and themes, symbolizing both continuity and change within the Church.