The Prince and Princess of Wales marked a historic royal first on Thursday when they met with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
William and Kate met with the Most Reverend Sarah Mullally at Lambeth Palace, ahead of her Installation at Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday 25 March, the Feast of the Annunciation.
Dame Sarah is the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church’s history. She was confirmed in the post last month at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral, and the royal ceremony comes ahead of her installation, or enthronement, at Canterbury Cathedral next month.
HELLO! understands that William and Kate are looking forward to spending time with Archbishop Sarah and building a strong working relationship with her.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaThe meeting lasted half an hour, and saw William crack a joke comparing himself to the historic appointment, before asking her how she was settling in and finding her way around. Kate, meanwhile, focused on the gardens and their potential for reflection and calm, both for clergy and for visitors.
The meeting came after the Archbishop met with the King on Wednesday, honouring the tradition dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I.
During the meeting, Charles received the oath of allegiance from Sarah, in which she acknowledged the King as the supreme governor of the Church of England.
While the King is head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
© Alamy Stock PhotoSarah said last month that she has had "encouraging" conversations with the King and that he is a “great supporter” of the institution and was "keen to hear from me about my vision."
Sarah's appointment comes after the position of the Archbishop of Canterbury was left vacant for about a year when Justin Welby announced he was to resign over failures in handling an abuse scandal.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceSarah said she hoped to lead with "calmness, consistency and compassion," in what she described as "times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world."
© Alamy Stock PhotoShe was Bishop of London for almost a decade, and is also a former chief nursing officer for England, and was officially named in October as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury.
