Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury? Justin Welby to conduct the Coronation - and role in Westminster service

The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. This is a role that has been assigned to the Archbishop since 1066.

The Coronation is a religious ceremony and the sovereign is "anointed, blessed and consecrated" by the Archbishop on behalf of the Church of England. During the ceremony, the King will be anointed with holy oil, before receiving the orb, his coronation ring and a scepter before being blessed by the Archbishop.

Previously, the Archbishop wrote a heartfelt speech as churches across the UK said their prayers in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s death on 8 September 2022.

The Most Rev Justin Welby delivered a sermon at Canterbury Cathedral to acknowledge that many people were “navigating their way around the raw and ragged edges of grief”, adding that the new King has the ability to bring “healing” to people just as his late mother did.

During his sermon, the Archbishop said those who met the Queen were “always struck by her ability to make them feel as though they were the most important, the only person in the room, the only person in the street, in the crowd”.

He said: “King Charles III has the same ability to see the value of each person as God sees them. That is his conscious understanding of people.”

Speaking about the Queen, he added: “Her late Majesty taught us much, if not more, about God and grace, both in words and in the actions that reinforce them, than any other contemporary figure. We remember her not for what she had but what she gave. What a precious person … and how keenly we feel her loss.”

Here’s what you need to know about the Archbishop and his role after a monarch dies and a new monarch is crowned.

Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury? 

The current Archbishop of Canterbury is Justin Welby, who was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013.

He is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury.

The Archbishop has four main roles, which include:

• The diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, covering eastern parts of the County of Kent
• Is the metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Canterbury, covering the southern two-thirds of England
• The senior primate and chief religious figure of the Church of England
• The spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, where he is recognised as primus inter pares (first among equals) of all Anglican primates worldwide

The Archbishop is one of the highest-ranking men in England and the highest ranking non-royal in the United Kingdom’s order of precedence. He resides in Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Because of his high-ranking status, the Archbishop of Canterbury crowns the kings and Queens of England and conducts affairs in regard to the royals.

Who is Justin Welby? 

Mr Welby, 66, is the 105th in a line going back over 1400 years to Augustine of Canterbury. He was born in Middlesex in 1956 and attended Eton College and Trinity College, in Cambridge, graduating in 1978 with a BA in history and law.

By 1984, Mr Welby had become treasurer of the oil exploration group and retired from his executive postion in 1989 after he sensed a calling from God.

He was at first rejected for ordination by John Hughes, the Bishop of Kensington, who said: “There is no place for you in the Church of England.”

However, he was later accepted with the support of the Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, Sandy Millar. From 1989 to 1992, Mr Welby studied theology and trained for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall and St John’s College, in Durham, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a Diploma in Ministry (DipMin) in 1992.

He was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 2013 after first thinking it was “a joke” and “perfectly absurd” since he had only been bishop for a short time. Mr Welby succeed Dr Rowan Williams who retired at the end of December 2012.

What is the Archbishop’s role in the Westminster service?

On Wednesday 14 September, the Queen’s coffin was taken on a precession to Westminister Hall, accompanied by King Charles III, the Queen Consort, and members of the Royal Family. The Archbishop of Canterbury performed a ceremony in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric in the Church of England and has the responsibility of performing the coronation. The ceremony is religious as the British sovereign is the supreme governor of the church.