Editing Cosmo Gordon Lang (section)

===First years===

Lang's [[canonical election|election]] to York was [[confirmation of bishops|confirmed]] on 20 January<ref>{{Church Times | title = The Archbishop of York. His Election Confirmed. | archive = 1909_01_22_099 | issue = 2400 | date = 22 January 1909 | page = 99 | accessed = 12 March 2021 }}</ref> and he was enthroned at [[York Minster]] on 25 January 1909. In 18 years since ordination he had risen to the second-highest position in the Church of England.<ref>Lockhart, p. 193</ref> In addition to his diocesan responsibilities for York itself, he became head of the entire [[Province of York|Northern Province]], and a member of the [[House of Lords]]. Believing that the [[Diocese of York]] was too large, he proposed reducing it by forming a new [[Diocese of Sheffield]], which after several years' work was inaugurated in 1914.<ref>{{cite web|title= Our Diocese |publisher= The Diocese of Sheffield|url= http://www.sheffield.anglican.org/our-diocese |access-date= 6 December 2015}}</ref> In the years following his appointment, Lang spoke out on a range of social and economic issues, and in support of improved working conditions. After taking his seat in the House of Lords in February 1909, he made his maiden speech in November in the debate on the controversial [[People's Budget]], advising the Lords against their intention to reject this measure. He cast his first Lords vote against rejection, because he was "deeply convinced of the unwisdom of the course the Lords proposed to take". Although his speech was received with respect, Lang's stance was politely reproved by the leading Conservative peer [[Lord Curzon]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Finance Bill|publisher=Hansard (House of Lords)|date= 30 November 1909|url= https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1909/nov/30/finance-bill-1|work= [[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=4 August 2009}}</ref><ref>Lockhart, pp. 236–37</ref>

Despite this socially progressive stance, Lang's political instincts remained conservative. He voted against the [[Home Rule Act 1914|1914 Irish Home Rule Bill]] and opposed liberalisation of the divorce laws.<ref name="McLeod232">McLeod, p. 232</ref> After playing a prominent role in [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V's]] coronation in 1911, Lang became increasingly close to the Royal Family, an association which drew the comment that he was "more courtier than cleric".<ref name= Monarchy>{{cite web|title= Monarchy Series 4|publisher=Channel 4 |url= http://www.channel4.com/programmes/monarchy |access-date=6 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107041525/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/monarchy |archive-date=7 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His love of ceremony, and concern for how an archbishop should look and live, began to obscure other aspects of his ministry;<ref>Lockhart, p. 202</ref> rather than assuming the role of the people's prelate he began, in the words of his biographer Alan Wilkinson, to act as a "prince of the church".<ref>{{cite odnb|last= Wilkinson|first= Alan|title= (William) Cosmo Gordon Lang (1864–1945)|id=34398}}   ("Archbishop of York" section)</ref>