Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, has been named Archbishop of Canterbury, marking the first time in history that a woman will lead the Church of England.
She follows 105 men in the role and will serve as the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
Mullally will take over from Justin Welby, who announced his resignation in November last year. His departure came after an independent investigation found that he had failed to immediately alert police about serial physical and sexual abuse committed by a volunteer at Christian summer camps.
Her appointment comes at a time of deep divisions within the church. Mullally is expected to face challenges related to the treatment of women and LGBTQ people. She will also have to address ongoing criticism that church leaders have not done enough to tackle sexual abuse scandals that have plagued the institution for more than a decade.
The historic appointment represents a major milestone for the Church of England, as Mullally becomes the first woman to take its highest post in centuries-old tradition.