The Prince and Princess of Wales met today with spiritual leaders in London including the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, and Aga Khan.
William and Kate sat down with the first woman to hold the role of the head of the Church of England at Lambeth Palace.
Separately, they also met with leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Aga Khan, with the heir to the throne pictured shaking hands with him outside Kensington Palace.
In a post on social media, the Prince and Princess of Wales said it was ‘a pleasure’ to welcome Mr Khan to the palace on Thursday morning.
The meetings took place less than a day after Princess Catherine shared a poignant message to mark World Cancer Day.
It also 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.
The Prince and Princess of Walesmet today with the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally
William and Kate sat down with the first woman to hold the role at Lambeth Palace in London
The couple met various faith leaders including Aga Khan (right), the leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims
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.
The royal couple posed for photographs as they met with the Archbishop in her study
The Princess of Wales speaks during a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally (not pictured) on Thursday
The Archbishop welcomed Prince William and Princess Catherine at the steps of Lambeth Palace
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at Lambeth Palace in London ahead of a meeting with the first female Archbishop of Canterbury
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.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
