High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth GCVO PC (known as Cosmo; 31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945) was an Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His rapid elevation to Archbishop of York, within 18 years of his ordination, is unprecedented in modern Church of England history. As Archbishop of Canterbury during the abdication crisis of 1936, he took a strong moral stance and comments he made in a subsequent broadcast were widely condemned as uncharitable towards the departed king.