The Archbishop of Canterbury is “delighted” that Prince William and Catherine will attend her upcoming installation.
The Prince and Princess of Wales met with Dame Sarah Mullally last month at Lambeth Palace to discuss the work of the Church and the Royal Foundation.
Ms Mullally, 63, is set to be installed as the archbishop on March 25 in front of an audience of 2,000 people.
A source close to the 63-year-old told The Sunday Times that she is “really delighted” that William and Catherine will be there for her installation.
The archbishop is said to be ‘delighted’ with the couple’s upcoming attendance
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GETTYThe source explained: “The prince and the archbishop are both passionate about it [the Church] not being a private members’ club and making it accessible and relevant.
“The improving relationship is wonderful and enables us to help defend and understand the prince’s position.
“We would love the [future] supreme governor to be at church every Sunday, but one has to be practical around the fact that they are a couple with young children.”
Dame Sarah will be the first woman to hold this post and, like the Prince, supports Aston Villa.
The Princess of Wales and Prince William previously visited Lambeth Palace for their inaugural formal encounter with Dame Sarah Mullally
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PAThe prince is said to want to forge a meaningful relationship with the new archbishop.
William is said to be mindful that Dame Sarah will likely officiate at his coronation and will prepare him for his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England – her boss.
She replaced Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 over his handling of the John Smyth abuse case.
The Prince of Wales is neither a devout Christian nor a frequent churchgoer but has disclosed his “quiet faith” and “commitment to the Church of England”, ending years of speculation about his religious beliefs.
William is said to be mindful that Dame Sarah will likely officiate at his coronation
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PA
Just days before he attends the Archbishop of Canterbury’s enthronement this week, the prince has chosen to “draw a line in the sand” on the matter.
In an extraordinarily in-depth profile, a source close to William told The Sunday Times: “This week is an opportunity to be very clear in people’s minds, when he walks into Canterbury Cathedral, of where he stands.
“For him, it is a drawing of a line in the sand of where he’s at, and it’s really important that it [the question over his commitment to the Church] is cleared up.”
William was baptised at six weeks old and confirmed aged 14.
William has disclosed his ‘quiet faith’ and ‘commitment to the Church of England’
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PA
The source added: “His feeling is: ‘I might not be at church every day, but I believe in it, I want to support it, and this is an important aspect of my role and the next role, and I will take it very seriously, in my own way.'”
An aide to William told the newspaper: “The Prince of Wales’s commitment to the Church of England is sometimes quieter than people expect, and for that reason it is not always fully understood.
“Those who know him well recognise that his connection to the Church, and to the sense of duty that comes with it, runs deep and is grounded in something personal and sincere.”
His approach to the Church indicates a shift from earlier monarchs, whose robust faith was openly central to their rule.