Explaining his reasons for leaving, Dr Williams said: “At the end of this year I will have been 10 years in post as Archbishop and just over 20 years as a bishop – that is part of it, feeling that after 10 years it is proper to pray and reflect and review your options.”
He added that there were a number of “watersheds” this year, such as the forthcoming vote by the General Synod, the National Assembly of the Church of England, on whether to give final approval to legislation introducing women bishops.
“A number of what I call watersheds seemed to make this a reasonable moment, at least, to think about moving on,” he said.