On his return to England in 1170, Becket tried to excommunicate bishops who had been loyal to the king. This was the last straw for Henry, and tradition says he shouted “will nobody rid me of this turbulent priest?” Whatever he actually said, four knights overheard the king, and interpreted his outburst as an order.
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The four knights travelled to Canterbury Cathedral, where they found Thomas Becket preparing for an evening service. They asked Becket to leave the church, but he refused. A struggle broke out: one knight swung his sword at Becket and chopped off part of his skull. The Archbishop fell to the ground and, according to a witness, his brains spilled out over the cathedral floor. The people of England were appalled. Thomas Becket quickly became a Christian martyr, Canterbury became a site of pilgrimage, and in 1173 the Pope made Becket a saint. Henry II realised he had made a great mistake in causing the death of his once great friend, and needed to seek forgiveness. In 1174, he walked to Canterbury in bare feet and a hair shirt, and once there, the king was whipped by the monks and bishops of Canterbury before spending the night sleeping beside Becket’s shrine. It must have been a very unusual sight for the king’s subjects.
Henry’s last days Henry II’s reign, which had started so well, ended in sadness. Three of Henry II’s eldest sons were angry that he would not share control of the Angevin Empire, and along with their mother Queen Eleanor, they led an uprising against his rule. The revolt failed, and Henry II threw Eleanor in prison. Henry II never properly made peace with his sons and they continued to rebel against his rule. Deserted by his family Henry II died in 1189, supposedly of a broken heart.
Illustration of the murder of Thomas Becket from an illuminated manuscript
Canterbury Cathedral, England
Check your understanding 1. Why was it said that Henry II and Thomas Becket were ‘but one heart and one mind’? 2. How did Becket change when he became Archbishop of Canterbury? 3. What was the final straw which caused Becket to go into exile in France for 4 years? 4. How did Henry II cause four knights to travel to Canterbury and kill Thomas Becket? 5. What did Henry II do in response to Thomas Becket’s death?
Chapter 1: Henry II (1154–1189)
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