FACTBOX - Williams faces critics

(Reuters) - Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, 57, will try on Monday to defuse a row raging over his remarks on Islamic law in Britain when he opens a meeting of senior members of his church in London.

Williams sparked outrage last week when he suggested it was "unavoidable" that at some point in the future aspects of Sharia law would be introduced in Britain, home to around 1.8 million Muslims.

Here are some key details about Williams:

EARLY LIFE:

* Born in Swansea on June 14, 1950, Williams is the first Archbishop of Canterbury from outside England since the split from Rome, and the first from Wales for at least 1,000 years.

* His parents named him Rowan after a tree renowned for its magical qualities. Williams was made an honorary druid at a colourful pageant in Wales in 2002, laughing off suggestions the title made him some sort of pagan.

* He studied theology at Cambridge University, published his first book before turning 30 and, at the age of 36, became the youngest theology professor in the history of Oxford University.

* His views on Afghanistan and Iraq echo his "peacenik" past -- he was arrested in 1985 while reciting psalms on the runway of an American airbase in Britain.

IRAQ OPPOSITION: