Bishop of London
The bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723.
Bishop of London | |
|---|---|
| Bishopric | |
| anglican | |
Arms of the Bishop of London: Gules, two swords in saltire points uppermost argent hilts and pommels or | |
| Incumbent: Sarah Mullally since 8 March 2018 | |
| Style | The Right Reverend and Right Honourable |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Canterbury |
| Residence | The Old Deanery, Dean's Court, City of London |
| Information | |
| First holder | Thean |
| Established | 4th century, but current establishment from 604 |
| Diocese | London |
| Cathedral | St Paul's Cathedral |
The diocese covers 458 km2 (177 sq mi) of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames (historically the City of London and the County of Middlesex) and a small part of the County of Surrey (the district of Spelthorne, historically part of Middlesex). The see is in the City of London, where the seat is St Paul's Cathedral, which was founded as a cathedral in 604 and was rebuilt from 1675 following the Great Fire of London (1666).
Third in seniority in the Church of England after the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the bishop is one of five senior bishops who sit as of right as one of the 26 Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords (for the remaining diocesan bishops of lesser rank, seats are attained upon vacancy, determined by chronological seniority). The other four senior bishops are the archbishop of Canterbury, the archbishop of York, the bishop of Durham and the bishop of Winchester.
The bishop's residence is The Old Deanery, Dean's Court, City of London. Previously, Fulham Palace was the residence for over 1000 years, and from the 18th century, the bishop had chambers at London House next to the Bishop's Chapel in Aldersgate Street.
The current (133rd) bishop of London is Sarah Mullally. She was confirmed on 8 March 2018 after acting in post immediately after her canonical election on 25 January 2018. The diocesan bishop of London has had direct episcopal oversight in the Two Cities area (the City of London and the City of Westminster) since the institution of the London area scheme in 1979.