Dr Sentamu, the sixth of 13 brothers and sisters, and a former barrister and judge, came to the UK in 1974 having fled Uganda where he was a critic of the dictator Idi Amin.
The Archbishop has gained a reputation for supporting the armed forces - sky-diving to raise money for families of servicemen wounded or killed in Afghanistan - and for speaking out against bankers and traders responsible for the financial crisis.
He has called for the English to mark St George's Day properly on April 23, warning that the failure of England to rediscover its culture would lead only to greater political extremism.
As Bishop of Stepney in east London, Dr Sentamu acted as an adviser to the inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. He has also campaigned against guns, knives, drugs and gangs.
More recently, he attracted controversy - and racist emails - when he spoke out against gay marriage. Dr Sentamu is married with two grown-up children and two grown-up foster children.
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