Overview

• Cherry Vann’s August 2025 appointment made her the first female Archbishop of Wales and the first openly lesbian Primate in the Anglican Communion.
• In her Guardian interview, Vann recounted concealing her 30-year partnership with Wendy Diamond until her 2020 appointment as Bishop of Monmouth, fearing tabloid outing.
• Her ministry milestones include ordination as a deacon in 1989 and among the first women priests in the Church of England in 1994.
• The Church in Wales permits same-sex partnerships without requiring celibacy, reflecting its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ inclusion compared to other Anglican provinces.
• Her enthronement in Newport this autumn is expected to conclude a turbulent era and signal a new chapter for gender and queer leadership in the church.