Catherine clutches her hat as she and Prince William brave the wind for historic enthronement ceremony

The Princess of Wales had to hold onto her hat as she arrived for a monumental ceremony which saw the first woman enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury in its 1,400-year history.

Catherine arrived at Canterbury Cathedral along with the Prince of Wales on a windy Wednesday and was seen clutching the wide-brimmed Juliette Botterill hat, her hair secured in an elaborate up-do.

The princess accessorised with a pair of pearl and diamond cluster 'cavolfiore' earrings by Cassandra Goad.

The $14,680 jewels were first worn by Catherine for Prince Louis' christening in 2018 and at various other occasions since including Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour.

Catherine covered up in a Suzannah coat, in the Prince of Wales check design, and arrived at Canterbury Cathedral with Prince William, who was representing his father, King Charles.

It is protocol for the heir to the throne to attend, rather than the monarch.

The royal couple was greeted outside the West Door by Lady Colgrain, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

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They then made their way inside the cathedral where 2000 guests witnessed the historic ceremony.

Afterwards the new Archbishop, Dame Sarah Mullally, spoke with the Prince and Princess of Wales outside.

Dame Sarah is the 106th holder of the Archbishop of Canterbury title and the first female in its 1,400-year history.

She told the congregation: "I recognise the significance of being the first female archbishop, but I am also aware of the women that have supported me in my ministry, and also the men as well."

Dame Sarah is a former chief nursing officer for the UK's National Health Service and her morse, or clasp, was decorated with the belt buckle from her first nurse's uniform.

She previously said of the specially-designed morse: "The buckle that you see on my morse was bought for me by my father. And I thought that in a sense, my vocation first as a nurse, and then as a priest, have great continuity of care, compassion, and people.

"And so it seemed natural to take the buckle off my nurse's belt and to put it on my morse."

Her position as spiritual leader of the Church of England was announced in October. Dame Sarah replaced Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 over his handling of a sex abuse case.

At the time, King Charles said the appointment of Dame Sarah was "of such importance in the UK and across the global Anglican Communion".

Last month, King Charles received Dame Sarah at Buckingham Palace, where she paid tribute to him as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

The relationship between the royal family and the Archbishop of Canterbury is a close and enduring one.

As a Privy Counsellor, the Archbishop holds a formal constitutional role, in addition to crowning the monarch at their coronation and officiating at royal weddings, baptisms and funerals.

At the weekend, Prince William addressed questions for the first time about his personal faith.

He has never been a regular churchgoer like his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, or King Charles, and his commitment to his Christian faith has long been questioned.

A source close to the prince told The Sunday Times William wanted to create "a strong and meaningful bond with the Church and its leadership".

"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'."

One of William's aides told the publication: "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.

"Faith, service and responsibility are themes that have long shaped the role he will one day inherit, and they are things he approaches in his own thoughtful way."

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