Justin Welby's Biography

Early Life and Parentage

Justin Welby was born in London on 6 January 1956.

His parents divorced. His mother remarried and became Lady Williams of Elvel.

In 2016, Justin Welby revealed that a DNA test had shown that he was the son of Sir Winston Churchill's last private secretary, Sir Anthony Montague Browne and not of whisky salesman Gavin Welby, as he had believed.

Justin Welby was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, where he studied history and law. He met his wife Caroline at Cambridge.

Working in Oil

He then worked in the oil industry, notably for Elf and Enterprise Oil. 

Christianity

In 1983 his seven-month old daughter died in a car crash. It was one of the events that was to lead to him to leave the oil industry and set him on the path that would lead him to being the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He became a Deacon in 1992 and a Priest in 1993.

From 1995 to 2002 he served Coventry Diocese.

In 2002 Justin Welby was made a Canon of Coventry Cathedral.

On 8 December 2007 he became Dean of Liverpool.

On 2 June 2011, he was announced as the new Bishop of Durham, and was enthroned at Durham Cathedral on 26 November 2011.

On 9 November 2012, Justin Welby was announced as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He officially took up his post on 4 February 2013, and was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013.

Trivia
Justin Welby enjoys sailing and is a fan of the American political television drama series The West Wing and chose the complete West Wing series 1-7 as his luxury on Desert Island Discs.

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