The Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed by the Crown, that is to say by the sovereign acting upon the advice of the Prime Minister. He is then elected by the chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, who represent the clergy of the diocese. After this election has been confirmed by legal representatives of the diocese, he is consecrated as archbishop, and pays homage to the sovereign for the possessions of his province. Finally the new archbishop is enthroned in the cathedral.
As the Primate of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury takes precedence over all the nobility, except those of royal blood. It is he who places the crown on the sovereign’s head at the coronation.
The province of Canterbury has three dioceses, each ministered by a bishop. The amount of authority that the Archbishop has over his bishops is not clearly defined, but experts in church law maintain that he must accept their majority decision.
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