In a frank and extensive interview with the BBC's Jeremy Vine, the Archbishop of Canterbury discussed how he reacted to the revelations about his real father, his largely unhappy childhood with alcoholic parents and the death of his daughter.
Sometimes light-hearted, sometimes serious, Welby talked about his past career in the oil industry as well as his interest in conflict reconciliation.
Welby admitted he was told he "had no future in the Church of England" when he first went for ordination.
"I knew I shouldn't have done this," he grinned at one point as Vine probed about his views on suffering, retribution, and ISIS.
The interview began with a series of questions from Vine on the revelations earlier this year that Welby's biological father was not Gavin Welby as he had always thought, but Winston Churchill's private secretary Sir Anthony Montague Browne. Vine then went into some quick fire questions which ranged from what Welby would do if Trump came for communion, to whether it is right to shoot a potential ISIS killer.
The Archbishop then answered questions from the audience including one from a young girl who wanted to know: "Why did you want the job?"
The interview was part of a visit to the Diocese of Worcester.
You can watch the full interview below:
