Crown and Church United: King Charles III Meets the First Female Archbishop in 1,400 Years
In a moment steeped in centuries of sacred tradition and profound historic resonance, King Charles III received the new Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace .
As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the King welcomed the Most Revd Dame Sarah Mullally for a private audience. There, following ancient custom established since the reign of Elizabeth I, she knelt before the Sovereign and paid formal homage. With hands clasped in prayerful allegiance, she swore her oath of loyalty to the monarch in his constitutional role as head of the established Church.
This deeply personal encounter highlighted King Charles’s longstanding and heartfelt commitment to the Church of England. A man of sincere Christian faith, the King has consistently shown a profound sense of spiritual duty — not only through his public role as Defender of the Faith, but also through his private devotion, his steadfast support for the Church’s mission, and his earnest desire to see it serve as a beacon of hope, service, and unity in a changing world. His warm reception of the new Archbishop reflected both constitutional continuity and a genuine pastoral interest in the Church’s future.
The symbolism of the meeting carried extraordinary grandeur. For more than 1,400 years, the relationship between the British monarch and the Archbishop of Canterbury has embodied the sacred bond between Crown and Church. In this singular instance, the encounter assumed even greater historic weight: it marked the moment when the King, as Supreme Governor, formally acknowledged the first woman ever to lead the Church of England in its long and storied history. By receiving her homage at Buckingham Palace, King Charles personally bridged the ancient foundations of the realm with this transformative milestone — quietly affirming the Church’s evolution while honouring its timeless traditions. It was a quiet yet majestic gesture, uniting monarchy and ministry at a pivotal turning point after fourteen centuries of male leadership.
Although the King was unable to attend the enthronement service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March 2026 due to his schedule, he was represented by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Palace later released photographs of the earlier Buckingham Palace audience, capturing the King and the new Archbishop standing together — a quiet but powerful image of continuity, faith, and forward-looking leadership at this epoch-making juncture.
Through this meeting and his broader engagement with the Church, King Charles continues to embody a thoughtful, faithful, and inclusive approach to his role as Supreme Governor. In an age of rapid change, his personal involvement serves as a steady anchor — reminding the nation and the wider Anglican Communion of the enduring importance of faith, service, and the timeless partnership between the monarchy and the Church of England, now illuminated by this historic step into a new era.
- His Majesty King Charles – The Kings Trust
- Dame Sarah Mullally – Archbishop of Canterbury
