Sarah Mullally will be formally installed as Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday at Canterbury Cathedral, marking a historic moment as the first woman to lead the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion. The 63-year-old cleric, who legally assumed the role in January, will deliver her inaugural sermon to around 2,000 attendees including the British prime minister and Prince William.

Mullally's appointment breaks a 1,400-year tradition of male leadership in the position. Her name was recently inscribed on stone slabs at Canterbury Cathedral alongside the first 105 male archbishops dating back to St. Augustine in A.D. 597. The installation ceremony will feature multicultural elements including prayers in Urdu and Bemba, a Spanish gospel reading, and hymns by the African Choir of Norfolk.

The new archbishop inherits a church facing declining attendance in England and ongoing divisions over social issues including same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ ordination. Conservative Anglican factions abroad have denounced her appointment, citing biblical requirements for male leadership. Mullally brings extensive experience from her nursing career and previous roles as bishop of London and member of the House of Lords.