Lords Spiritual

The Lords Spiritual are the bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. As of 8 March 2026, there are 23 current Lords Spiritual, of a maximum of 26.

The archbishop of Canterbury, the archbishop of York, and the bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester are always Lords Spiritual. The remaining 21 Lords Spiritual are typically appointed based on length of service as a diocesan bishop. However, the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015, which is in force until 2030, gives female bishops priority in appointments. When a vacancy arises, if a woman is eligible to become a Lord Spiritual then she must be appointed, and if more than one woman is eligible then the appointment is decided on length of service.

The Lords Spiritual are distinct from the Lords Temporal, their secular counterparts who make up the majority of the House of Lords. When a Lord Spiritual retires as a bishop they may be given a life peerage, which allows them to continue to sit in the Lords as a Lord Temporal. Because only the Church of England is an established church in any country of the United Kingdom, representatives of other churches cannot be appointed Lords Spiritual; this includes the Church in Wales, the Church of Ireland and the Church of Scotland.

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