Rowan Williams joins House of Lords with nod to Swansea

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has joined the House of Lords as a life peer with a title inspired by a village where he grew up.

He was officially introduced to the chamber as Baron Williams of Oystermouth on Tuesday.

Dr Williams previously sat in the Lords as one of the Lords Spiritual - the 26 bishops of the Church of England who are members of the House of Lords.

He was given a life peerage after retiring as Archbishop on 31 December.

His title comes from the village of Oystermouth in Mumbles, near Swansea.

Born in 1950, he grew up in Ystradgynlais in the Swansea Valley and was educated at Swansea's Dynefor grammar school before going on to Christ's College, Cambridge.

He was granted the freedom of Swansea in 2010.

'Citizen of Swansea'

Dr Williams is to become Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge University

At the time he told BBC Wales the honour was "very special" as the city had given him "deep experiences".

"I've always been really proud to be a citizen of Swansea and always feel that it is still 'home' even though most of my family are now dead, who lived here, but we still have friends here," he said at the time.

He said Dynefor School and All Saints Church in Oystermouth had been influential in his later path, adding that he owed both a great deal for "encouraging me and giving me a bit of a vision".

He was Bishop of Monmouth from 1991 to 1999, before becoming Archbishop of Wales.

The 61-year-old Welsh-speaking cleric was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002.

Having stepped down he will become Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge University.

He will be succeeded as Archbishop of Canterbury by the Bishop of Durham, Right Rev Justin Welby.