Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will step down from his position as the head of the Anglican church in December.

The 61-year-old church leader, who in 2010 came close to splitting over the ordination of gay clergy and women bishops, has said in a statement on his website that standing down was not an easy decision.

Williams was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002 and will take the position of Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge University in January.