William and Kate congratulate Archbishop of Canterbury on her appointment

The Prince and Princess of Wales have formally met the Archbishop of Canterbury for the first time since she took up office.

William and Kate were greeted by Dame Sarah Mullally on the steps of Lambeth Palace and later posed for a photo in the Archbishop’s study before sitting down for informal talks.

It is understood the visit reflects the importance the prince and princess place on faith and the couple want to build a strong working relationship with the senior cleric.

The visit comes after Dame Sarah made the oath of allegiance to the sovereign on Wednesday, in which she acknowledged the King as the supreme governor of the Church of England, in a traditional ceremony dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I.

She was confirmed in the post last month at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral, and the royal ceremony comes ahead of her installation, or enthronement, at Canterbury Cathedral next month.