In Pictures: History is made as first female Archbishop of Canterbury enthroned

Dame Sarah Mullally kneels before Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr David Monteith (right), and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell (Stefan Rousseau/PA) - (PA Wire)

History was made on Wednesday when Dame Sarah Mullaly became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury – the first woman to hold the position.

Hundreds of people had gathered outside the cathedral ahead of the service, including one man who said he was keen to “see this brilliant moment in history”.

A beaming Dame Sarah Mullally as she became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Dame Sarah strikes the west door of Canterbury Cathedral three times (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

The Princess of Wales at the service (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Members of the clergy arriving for the service (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

The Primates of the Anglican Communion (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Members of the clergy at the service (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

The Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr David Monteith, leads the Prince and Princess of Wales (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Dame Sarah Mullally arrives for the service (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

Dame Sarah embraces the Rt Rev Paulina Hlawiczka-Trotman, Bishop of the Lutheram Church of Great Britain (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Jane Varner Malhotra, 57, from Washington DC, outside Canterbury Cathedral (Erik Olsson/PA) (PA Wire)

Dean of Canterbury the Very Rev Dr David Monteith (right) hands the Archbishop of Canterbury the Pastoral Episcopal Staff (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr David Monteith, installs the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, seated in the Chair of St Augustine (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Read More

First female Archbishop of Canterbury: Teenage me could not have imagined this

William and Kate attend enthronement of first female Archbishop of Canterbury

Vatican urged to ‘pay attention’ as first woman becomes Archbishop of Canterbury