The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by spiritual leaders, made significant appearances in London today. Among those they met were the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, and the esteemed Aga Khan. At Lambeth Palace, William and Kate engaged in discussions with Dame Sarah, marking her as the first woman to head the Church of England. Separately, the couple welcomed the Aga Khan, the leader of the Ismaili Muslims, at Kensington Palace, with Prince William warmly greeting him outside. On social media, the royal couple expressed their delight in hosting Mr. Khan, describing it as ‘a pleasure’ on Thursday morning.

Their meetings follow closely on the heels of a heartfelt message from Princess Catherine in recognition of World Cancer Day. In an unanticipated move, Catherine joined Prince William at Lambeth Palace for a half-hour discussion with Dame Sarah, a historic figure in the Church’s 1,400-year lineage. Although not frequent church attendees, reports suggest that the princess has leaned more on her faith amid her battle with cancer. The pair received a cordial welcome from Dame Sarah on the steps of her London residence, exchanging a brief curtsey and warm handshakes.

This encounter signifies an important development in the royal couple’s connection with the Church. According to royal insiders, William and Catherine are eager to foster a strong working relationship with Archbishop Sarah. Prince William is also set to attend her formal installation at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25. During their time in the Archbishop’s study, the atmosphere was casual, with William lightening the mood with a self-referential joke and inquiring about her acclimation to the extensive palace grounds. Meanwhile, Catherine showed interest in the gardens, discussing their potential as serene retreats for both clergy and visitors.

It came after Dame Sarah took her place in the House of Lords in her new role as the Church of England’s top cleric. Dame Sarah Mullally already sat in the upper chamber as the Bishop of London, prior to her historic appointment. The Lords Spiritual have 26 places reserved in the unelected house for senior Church of England bishops, including the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Dame Sarah was supported by the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, and the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Debbie Sellin, for the short introduction ceremony in the Lords, where she swore the oath of allegiance to the King. In a statement after the ceremony, Dame Sarah said she was committed to ‘bringing a compassionate voice to my role as an advocate for equity, justice and hope’.

She added: ‘I will draw on my faith and my practical and pastoral experience as a nurse and a priest, to help scrutinise and finesse legislation that improves the lives of all those who live and work in our country – of all faiths and none.’ The first female Archbishop of Canterbury was officially confirmed as the 106th person to take up the post at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral last month. She filled a vacancy left by Justin Welby who was forced to resign over his handling of a child abuse scandal. Dame Sarah, a former chief nursing officer for England, will have a further service at Canterbury Cathedral in March where she will be installed, or enthroned, and after which she will begin preaching in her new role.

Technically, the King is head of the Church of England, but the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Lords ceremony came a day after Dame Sarah met the King at Buckingham Palace to acknowledge him as the supreme governor of the Church of England, in a tradition dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I. Dame Sarah thanked Charles for his support for the Church and reflected on having, in her role as the new Bishop of London, paid homage to the King’s late mother Queen Elizabeth II eight years previously.

Also taking her seat on the Lords red benches on Thursday was the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Rt Rev Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell. She was supported by the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Peterborough as she swore the oath of allegiance to the monarch. She previously served as the Bishop of Stepney. There were an estimated 1.02 million regular worshippers across the Church of England in 2024, up from 1.01 million in 2023. There are said to be 85 million people in more than 165 countries around the world forming the Anglican Communion.