The Archbishop of Canterbury has for the first time appointed a woman to act on his behalf at bishops' enthronement ceremonies.

Sheila Watson will be able to carry out ceremonies in 27 of England's 43 dioceses when she takes over as Archdeacon of Canterbury in March, reports the BBC.

Ms Watson is the current Archdeacon of Buckingham and works at present within the Diocese of Oxford.

Her appointment as Archdeacon of Canterbury comes at a time of ongoing debate within the Church on the appointment of female bishops.

The Church of England waded into controversy in 2005 when it voted to remove the legal blocks which prevented the ordination of women as bishops.

Ms Watson will be the first woman to join the Archbishop's staff as a senior office holder.

She said: "I feel enormously privileged to be invited to join the team at Canterbury in both diocese and cathedral."