May 2, 2025 • 47 mins
A friendship shattered. A cathedral desecrated. A martyrdom that forever changed England.
The story of Thomas Becket and King Henry II begins with an extraordinary bond between an ambitious clerk and a powerful monarch who shared "one heart and one mind." Their relationship embodied the complex dance between church and state in 12th century Europe, until a fateful decision transformed everything.
When Henry appointed his loyal chancellor as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, he expected to consolidate royal power over the English church. Instead, Becket underwent a radical transformation, becoming the church's fiercest defender against royal encroachment. What followed was a bitter six-year conflict over fundamental questions: Who held ultimate authority in England? Could the king's courts try clergymen accused of crimes? Where did loyalty to crown end and loyalty to God begin?
The confrontation reached its shocking climax on December 29, 1170, when four knights burst into Canterbury Cathedral during evening prayers. Their swords raised against a defiant archbishop, they committed not just murder but sacrilege, spilling Becket's blood and brains across the sacred stones near the altar.
This wasn't merely a medieval crime but a watershed moment that reshaped the balance of power between secular and religious authorities. Becket's swift canonization as a saint, Henry's dramatic public penance, and Canterbury's transformation into Christendom's great pilgrimage destination reveal how thoroughly this single act of violence penetrated medieval consciousness and institutions.
Beyond politics, the murder of Thomas Becket remains a deeply human tragedy – the story of a broken friendship, miscalculated ambitions, and the terrible consequences when words spoken in anger are taken as commands.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome back to History's Greatest Crimes.
I'm Michael.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And I'm Elena Join us as we step back into the
shadows of the past, uncoveringthe motives, methods and
consequences of history's mostshocking transgressions of
history's most shockingtransgressions.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Tonight we travel back to 12th century England, a
world of powerful kings,burgeoning law and an equally
powerful church.
Our destination CanterburyCathedral.
On a bitterly cold evening,december 29th 1170.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Inside Vespers, the evening prayer service is
underway.
Monks are chanting, candlelightflickers across stone pillars,
but the sanctity of the momentis about to be shattered.
Four knights loyal to KingHenry II of England burst into
the sacred space clad in armor,swords drawn.
They are shouting for one man.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Where is Thomas Beckett, traitor to the king and
the kingdom?
They ask the man they seek.
The Archbishop of Canterburystands defiant.
Minutes later he lies dead onthe cathedral floor, his skull
brutally cleaved upon, his bloodstaining the flagstones near
the altar this was more thanjust murder.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It was an act of profound sacrilege as well as a
political assassination.
It was the culmination of ayears long bitter feud between
church and state, personified bytwo towering figures Archbishop
Thomas Becket and King Henry IIof England.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And woven through.
It all is a story of friendshipturn and midi, of loyalty
twisted into betrayal.
Archbishop Becket had once beenKing Henry's closest confidant,
his chancellor, his right-handman.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So how did this loyal servant become the turbulent
priest whose death the kingseemed to demand?
How did a monarch's angryoutburst, possibly
misinterpreted, lead to one ofthe most infamous crimes of the
Middle Ages?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Tonight on History's Greatest Crimes.
We investigate the murder ofThomas Becket.
Will traces unlikely rise,Explore the explosive conflict
with King Henry II, follow himinto exile and witness his fatal
return, and then we'll examinethe shocking aftermath that
transformed a murderedarchbishop into a powerful saint
and forever altered the courseof English history.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
To understand the crime we need to understand the
victim, and Thomas Beckett'spath to power was not typical
for his time.
He wasn't born into the highnobility.
He entered the world around1119 or 1120 in London.
His parents, Gilbert andMatilda, were Norman immigrants.
We have to remember that atthis point the kingdom of
(03:07):
England included not justEngland but also most of Western
France.
This connection between Englandand France, particularly from
the Normandy region, had existedsince the Norman invasion of
England in 1066, when Williamthe Conqueror invaded and took
over.
So Thomas Beckett, as well ashis parents, likely spoke
medieval French as their firstlanguage, despite living in
(03:30):
England.
It wouldn't be cool to speakEnglish in England until the
15th century due to the HundredYears' War.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Thomas' parents were part of the merchant class,
perhaps dealing in wine ortextiles.
Often called the 12th centuryrenaissance by historians, the
12th century in Europe was atime of economic and cultural
growth.
The climate warmed slightlyaround this time, resulting in
better crop yields.
The Viking raids were mostlyover, so people started feeling
(03:57):
safe enough to start travelingand trading extensively again,
and the result was the rise ofcapitalism, bigger cities and
the spread of a new intellectualand cultural ideas and trends.
As a result, a merchant classbegan to emerge in medieval
Europe that was different fromthe traditional three medieval
social categories of peasants,the religious clergy and the
(04:21):
royal and noble elite.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Merchants in the 12th century, like Thomas Beckett's
parents, didn't hold officialtitles or large amounts of land,
but many were very financiallysuccessful and became wealthy.
Young Thomas Beckett received asolid education for the era,
studying at Merton Priory andlater in London and Paris.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
At this time, Merton Priory was a center of learning
and diplomacy.
Being a priory, the school wasreligious at its core.
It was actually under theauthority of Augustinian monks
at the time, and many studentsat Merton Priory started their
education with the intention ofbecoming a priest or bishop or
another office connected to theCatholic Church.
(05:04):
But it seems that Thomas wasinitially destined to use his
education to follow in hisparents' merchant footsteps.
That was the plan at least,until Thomas' parents suffered
some financial reverses.
At that point he pivoted tobecoming a clerk instead.
The role of a clerk during theMiddle Ages was to document and
maintain the handwritten recordsof the day-to-day operations
(05:28):
and business of the royal courtsor other important households
and organizations.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Thomas's break came in the 1140s when he became the
clerk for the household ofTheobald of Beck, the Archbishop
of Canterbury.
This was a pivotal connection.
The Archbishop of Canterburywas.
This was a pivotal connection.
The Archbishop of Canterburywas traditionally the leader of
the Catholic Church in England,the pinnacle of ecclesiastical
authority on the island.
Under the leadership of theArchbishop of Canterbury,
(05:56):
beckett proved himselfintelligent, charming and highly
capable.
He undertook important missionsfor Theobald.
He undertook important missionsfor Theobald, including trips
to Rome, and he studied canonlaw abroad.
His rise was swift.
By 1154, he was appointedarchdeacon of Canterbury, a
significant and lucrative post.
In exceptionally large dioceseslike that of Canterbury,
(06:20):
archbishops often had severalarchdeacons who helped with
administrative and businessduties.
But unlike most posts in theCatholic Church, one did not
need to be an ordained priest tobecome an archdeacon.
They could be an educatedmember of the laity.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It was Archbishop Theobald who saw Beckett's
administrative genius anddiplomatic skill.
When the young, energetic HenryII ascended the throne and
became king, Theobaldrecommended Beckett for the
position of Lord Chancellor, andHenry appointed him to that
position in January of 1155.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
This marked the beginning of an extraordinary
friendship.
Henry II, barely into his 20s,and Beckett, about 15 years his
senior, became inseparablecompanions as Lord Chancellor,
beckett was the king's chiefminister, helping him to oversee
government administration, andhe also served as advisor in
both spiritual and temporalmatters.
(07:16):
As a result, thomas Beckett andKing Henry hunted together,
traveled together.
Contemporaries remarked thatthey seemed to share quote one
heart and one mind, end quote.
The king trusted Beckettimplicitly, even placing his own
son and heir, young Henry, inBeckett's household to be raised
and educated a common practiceamong the nobility then.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
As chancellor Beckett was fiercely loyal and
incredibly effective in servingthe king's agenda, he
essentially became the chiefminister overseeing government
administration.
He was instrumental in Henry'sefforts to centralize power and
restore royal authority over thechaotic reign of King Stephen.
Stephen spent most of his20-year reign in a civil war for
(08:00):
the throne with Empress Matilda.
When Stephen unexpectedly diedfrom stomach disease in 1154,
empress Matilda.
When Stephen unexpectedly diedfrom stomach disease in 1154,
empress Matilda's son, henry II,became king.
When Henry became the king ofEngland, he immediately sought
to impose order and refill theroyal coffers.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Beckett's loyalty extended to the battlefield.
He personally led 700 knightsinto combat during one of
Henry's campaigns in France toregain lands belonging to his
queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Eleanor, the duchess of a veryimportant, quite large region in
southwest France, hadpreviously been married to the
king of France, Louis VII, for15 years.
(08:41):
Apparently, that union didn'twork out because in 1152,
Eleanor and King Louis had theirmarriage annulled.
Eleanor quickly remarried KingHenry II of England in 1154, the
arch rival of the King ofFrance, and of course King Henry
, wanted Eleanor's territory inFrance back from the King of
France, who of course wanted tokeep it.
(09:02):
Henry II was ultimatelysuccessful in his efforts and
throughout it, Lord ChancellorThomas Becket was in every sense
the king's man enforcing royalpolicy, even when it clashed
with the church's interests.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And he certainly enjoyed the rewards.
Becket lived a life of immensewealth and ostentation.
His trip to Paris in 1158 waslegendary for its extravagance
250 servants, wagons loaded withEnglish beer, a mobile chapel
and 24 changes of clothes forhimself.
He held a vast estate and hegifted to him by the king and he
(09:39):
maintained a personal army.
He was known for lavish partiesand fine living.
One story tells of him spendingan astronomical sum on a dish
of eels.
This worldly powerful figure,deeply enmeshed in royal service
and personal friendship withthe king, seemed the furthest
thing from a future martyr.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
It's this very image the loyal, effective, worldly
chancellor, deeply invested inthe king's power and enjoying
its benefits that makes whathappened next so dramatic.
His very success instrengthening royal authority,
sometimes at the church'sexpense, set the stage for an
incredible reversal when hisrole changed.
(10:20):
The depth of the friendshipalso adds a layer of tragedy.
This wasn't just a politicaldispute that turned deadly.
It was the shattering of aprofound personal bond, which
likely fueled the bitterness andintensity of the conflict to
come.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
So what changed?
Well, the turning point came in1161, with the death of
Theobald, the Archbishop ofCanterbury.
King Henry II, seeking toconsolidate his control over all
aspects of the kingdom, saw astrategic opening.
He wanted to bring the powerfuland often independent English
Catholic Church more firmlyunder his royal authority.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
It's interesting because, as we explained, henry
II was attempting to regaincontrol and assert his power
over England after the crazyreign of King Stephen before him
.
But his efforts to expandauthority and control as king
were also part of a larger trendgoing on in Western Europe at
the time.
Over the course of the 11thcentury, the power of the
(11:42):
Catholic Church, andspecifically the Pope, over
Europe and rulers had grownconsistently, culminating in the
First Crusade of 1096.
However, during the 12thcentury, the tide changed and
rulers like Henry II of Englandbegan to try to claw back some
of the power the crown hadpreviously lost to the church
(12:02):
and the nobility.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
And who better to help Henry achieve this than his
most loyal chancellor, ThomasBecket?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's right.
Michael Henry's calculation wasclear Appoint his closest
friend and most effectiveadministrator to the highest
office in the English CatholicChurch.
Archbishop of Canterbury,becket Henry assumed would
continue to prioritize thecrown's interests, effectively
making the king master of bothchurch and state.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It was, on the surface, a politically astute
move, but also an unconventionalone.
Beckett, as we've heard, wasliving a very secular life,
enjoying the finest of foods andexperiences the world had to
offer.
More significantly, beckettwasn't even ordained as a priest
(12:54):
.
He had been educated to be oneand often had worked closely
with them and with the churchofficials, like Theobald of Beck
, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But he had only been a clerkthen and then later held the
office of deacon, for which onecould be just a member of the
laity.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
When King Henry voiced his suggestion that
Beckett become ordained and takethe post of Archbishop of
Canterbury, beckett was hesitant.
He reportedly warned Henry thatdirectly appointing him
Archbishop would fundamentallychange the relationship and that
he could not serve two mastersking and god in the way Henry
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envisaged.
He foresaw the conflict thatHenry seemed blind to.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
But Henry, perhaps dismissing Beckett's concern as
false modesty or underestimatingthe power of the office,
pressed ahead with his plan.
Beckett was nominated and hiselection confirmed by the royal
council in May of 1162.
He was swiftly ordained as apriest on June 2nd and
consecrated Archbishop ofCanterbury the following day,
(13:57):
june 3rd 1162.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Henry must have felt triumphant.
He had his man in place, buthis expectation of continued
loyalty was immediately anddramatically shattered.
Beckett underwent a profoundtransformation, the reasons for
which remain debated byhistorians to this day.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
One of his first acts as archbishop was to resign the
chancellorship.
This was a crucial symbolicbreak.
It signaled that his primaryallegiance had shifted from the
king to the church, directlythwarting Henry's plan to unite
both roles under his influence.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Thomas's lifestyle changed completely.
The extravagant courtiervanished, replaced by an ascetic
churchman.
He reportedly gave away hiswealth, adopted simple clothing,
perhaps even the famouslyuncomfortable hair shirt worn as
penance, and dedicated himselfto prayer, study and charitable
works.
He embraced his new role withthe same intensity and
(14:58):
dedication he had previouslyshown the king, but now his
focus was solely on defendingthe rights and liberties of the
church.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So what drove this change?
Was it a genuine spiritualawakening, a deep conversion
experience prompted by theweight of his new office?
Or was it a more calculatedmove, recognizing that his power
base now lay within the churchhierarchy, requiring him to
champion the church's causeinstead?
Perhaps it was simply Beckett'scharacter a man driven to excel
(15:29):
in whatever role he occupied,applying his formidable
administrative skills anddetermination now on the
church's benefit.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We can't know for sure.
The lack of a definitiveexplanation from contemporaries
adds to the enigma of ThomasBeckett.
But whatever the internalmotivation, the external result
was clear the king's loyalfriend had become the church's
staunch defender, setting thestage for an epic confrontation.
(15:58):
Henry's political masterstrokehad backfired spectacularly.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
The conflict between King Henry II and Archbishop
Thomas Becket wasn't slow toignite.
With Becket transformed into azealous defender of
ecclesiastical rights, clashesbecame inevitable.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
At its heart.
This was a fundamental struggleover sovereignty in England.
Where did ultimate authoritylie?
With the monarch, responsiblefor law and order throughout the
realm, or with the churchclaiming spiritual authority and
specific legal privilegesgranted by God and tradition?
Speaker 1 (16:34):
This abstract conflict manifested in very
concrete disputes.
Beckett began aggressivelytrying to recover church lands
and properties he felt had beenwrongly alienated over the years
.
He challenged the king's rightto levy certain taxes on the
church holdings and he assertedthe church's independent right
to excommunicate individuals,even the powerful elite, without
(16:57):
seeking the king's permissionfirst.
This was a direct challenge toroyal authority over the
nobility.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
But the issue that truly brought the conflict to
boiling point was thelong-simmering problem of
criminous clerks.
This wasn't just about a fewmisbehaving priests.
In the 12th century, thedefinition of clergy was broad,
including not just priests andmonks, but anyone who had taken
even minor holy orders,potentially encompassing scribes
(17:28):
, teachers and a significantportion, perhaps as much as a
fifth, of the adult malepopulation.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Under longstanding tradition, known as benefit of
clergy, these individuals claimthe right to be tried
exclusively in ecclesiasticalcourts, in the Catholic Church,
rather than in the kingdom'sroyal courts, and this was a
right that apparently could beclaimed by a segment of a
population regardless of thecrime committed.
(17:55):
Henry II, deeply invested inreforming and centralizing the
English legal system under theroyal control, saw this as a
major impediment to hispolitical goals.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
The key problem was the disparity and punishment.
Church courts, guided by canonlaw, were forbidden from
imposing sentences that involvedshedding blood.
This meant that a clericconvicted of a serious felony
like murder or rape might facepenalties such as fines,
flogging, imprisonment or beingdefrocked, stripped of their
(18:30):
clerical status.
In contrast, the same crimetried in the king's secular
courts could result in brutalpunishments like mutilation or
execution.
Punishments like mutilation orexecution.
King Henry II argued thissystem allowed criminals to
escape proper justice simplybecause they had some connection
to the Catholic Church,undermining law and order across
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the kingdom.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
The context of this is interesting.
As we explained, king Henry IIhad a general plan to grow his
power and authority in England,just like many other rulers.
At the same time, however, kingHenry was particularly angry
about one notorious caseinvolving a church canon named
Philip de Bois.
Philip was, and had been,accused of murdering a knight,
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but he was acquitted in a churchcourt.
Unhappy with the outcome, oneof the king's officials sought
to reopen the case in the king'scourt, but Philippe de Bois
refused to be tried again on thegrounds that he was a cleric,
and he apparently told theking's officials that he could
not be tried, and he used somerather foul language to do so.
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When King Henry II learnedabout what happened, he insisted
that the man be tried again forthe murder and anew for his
insulting, foul language.
But instead Philip was merelybanished, showing the woeful
inadequacy of the CatholicChurch in punishing serious
crimes.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Specifically concerning people connected to
the Church who were accused ofcrimes.
King Henry proposed a solutionthat involved a two-step process
.
A cleric accused of a crimewould first be brought before a
royal court.
If it was confirmed that he wasindeed a cleric, the trial
itself would proceed in thechurch court, but, crucially, a
(20:17):
royal official would observe theproceedings to represent the
king's presence.
And if the church court foundthe cleric guilty and defrocked
him, he would then be handedback to the king's court now as
a layman, to receive thestandard secular punishment.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Beckett fiercely resisted this proposal.
He argued it violated theprinciple of clerical immunity
from secular courts.
Furthermore, he contended itconstituted double jeopardy
punishing a man twice for thesame offense, first by
defrocking in the church court,then by secular sentence in the
king's court.
He stood firm on the Catholicchurch's exclusive right to
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judge and punish its own.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
The confrontation escalated dramatically at the
Council of Clarendon in January1164.
Henry presented 16 specificarticles called the
Constitutions of Clarendon, andhe demanded the bishops swear a
formal oath to uphold them.
The act of writing them downand demanding sworn allegiance
(21:21):
represented a significantattempt to permanently limit
church autonomy and lock inroyal interpretation against
evolving canon law.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
The constitutions asserted royal power in other
key areas.
They required the king'spermission for clergy to leave
England or appeal cases to thepope in Rome, limiting the
church's power ofexcommunication.
And giving the king controlover revenues from vacant
bishopries and abbeys.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Under intense pressure from the king, Beckham
initially seemed to waver givinga verbal assent to the customs,
but when faced with the writtenconstitutions and the demand
for an oath, he ultimatelyrefused to give his formal seal,
specifically objecting to theclauses that undermine church
authority.
The king was furious.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
King Henry II did not take Beckett's defiance lightly
.
The refusal of Clarendon wasfollowed swiftly by retribution.
In October 1164, he summonedBeckett to a council at
Northampton Castle.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
This wasn't a negotiation and it was
effectively a show trial.
Beckett faced a barrage ofcharges, including contempt of
court for failing to appearpreviously in a land dispute and
, more seriously, accusations ofembezzlement and financial
irregularities dating back tohis time as chancellor.
King Henry seemed determined toruin Beckett, force his
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resignation and or imprison him.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The atmosphere was hostile.
Standing there before Henry IIwhile his barons shouted traitor
at Beckett, he realized hisposition in England was
untenable.
He stormed out of his faketrial and made a dramatic escape
, fleeing under the cover ofdarkness to the coast of England
.
There he crossed the Channelinto France, where he endured a
(23:12):
six-year exile under theprotection of Henry's political
enemy, King Louis VII of France.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
His first refuge was a Cistercian abbey in Burgundy,
a central French region thatbelonged to the French crown.
Here Beckett lived an asceticlife, joined by some members of
his household who had followedhim, but the peace the abbey
offered only lasted a year.
At that point in 1166, KingHenry threatened to expel the
(23:40):
entire Cistercian order from hisextensive territories in
England and France if theycontinued to shelter Thomas
Becket.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Both Archbishop Becket and King Henry appealed
to Pope Alexander III.
The Pope, however, was in aprecarious position himself.
He was currently engaged in astruggle with the Holy Roman
Emperor.
Frederick Barbarossa, whosupported a rival, anti-pope
Alexander was residing in exilein France and desperately needed
(24:08):
the powerful support of rulers,especially King Henry II.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
This meant Pope Alexander had to perform a
delicate balancing act.
He clearly sympathized withBecket's defense of church
liberties and refused Henry'srequest to depose the archbishop
, but he couldn't afford tocompletely alienate the English
king.
Consequently, he pursued a pathof diplomacy, sending Papal
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legates in 1167 and 1169 tomediate and negotiate a
settlement.
But these efforts provedfruitless.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The conflict remained deeply personal and intractable
.
Henry pursued Becketrelentlessly, issuing edicts
against him and confiscating thelands and revenues of the Sea
of Canterbury and of Becket'srelatives and supporters back in
England.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Beett, from exile, wielded his spiritual authority.
He excommunicated several ofHenry's key advisors and bishops
who had sided with the king,including the influential Bishop
of London.
He repeatedly threatened toplace all of Henry's lands under
interdict.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
That's right, elena.
Under interdict, the residentsof an affected region would not
be able to experience any publicchurch services or sacraments,
essentially risking theirspiritual health, their
relationship with God or evengetting into heaven.
The idea behind placing thelands of someone, generally a
ruler or powerful politicalleader, under interdict was to
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encourage the residents torevolt against their ruler and
pressure them back down to thechurch.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
For six years this stalemate persisted.
Beckett, convinced he wasfighting for fundamental
principles of church freedom,refused to compromise.
King Henry, equally stubborn,refused to yield on what he
considered his royal rights asking.
Neither side would budge.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
After six long years of exile and stalemate, the
deadlock began to break,ironically, triggered by King
Henry's actions concerning hisown succession.
Determined to secure the thronefor his eldest son, also named
Henry, the king decided to havehim crowned as junior king
during his own lifetime.
This practice of crowning aking's nominated successor while
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the original king was stillalive was something the French
Capetian dynasty had used forabout 200 years at this point,
and it had the effect of easinginstability during successions
and deepening the associationbetween the dynasty and the
kingdom, since the Capetianswere able to provide their
subjects with an already crownedand anointed junior king ready
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to step into the senior role.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
However, the traditional right to crown
English monarchs, whether theywere junior kings or real kings,
was supposed to belong solelyto the Archbishop of Canterbury.
With Becket still in exile,Henry II controversially had the
Archbishop of York perform thecoronation ceremony in
Westminster Abbey in June of1170.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
This was a calculated insult and a flagrant violation
of Canterbury's privileges.
Becket was furious.
So was Pope Alexander III, aswell as King Louis VII of France
, although King Louis was madprimarily because his daughter,
margaret, who was married to theyoung Henry, hadn't been
crowned alongside him.
The Pope, on the other hand,was mad all the way around and
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threatened Henry's continentalterritories with an interdict.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Facing this significant pressure, Henry was
finally forced to seek a genuinereconciliation with Beckett.
The two met in Normandy in Julyof 1170.
An agreement was reached.
Henry promised to restoreBeckett to his sea and return
the confiscated properties andrevenues of Canterbury.
In return, Beckett could comeback to England.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But this reconciliation was deeply flawed
, it seemed.
The fundamental issues that haddriven the conflict,
particularly the constitutionsof Clarendon and the
jurisdiction over criminousclerks, were not definitively
resolved.
They were essentially paperedover.
Beckett himself reportedlyexpressed foreboding at the end
of the meeting, telling Henryquote my Lord, my heart tells me
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that I depart as one whom youwill not see again.
End quote.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Beckett prepared for his return to England, but he
wasn't coming back entirely in aspirit of peace.
Armed with papal authority, hearranged for letters of
excommunication to be deliveredagainst the Archbishop of York
and the bishops of London andSalisbury for their role in the
illicit coronation.
These were delivered eitherjust before he sailed or
(29:16):
immediately upon his landing inEngland on December 1st of 1170.
There he was greeted byenthusiastic crowds hailing him
as a returning hero.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
When the excommunicated bishops rushed to
complain to Henry, who washolding his Christmas court in
Normandy at the time, the kingfell into one of his notorious
rages.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
King Henry II had quite the temper, huh.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I mean, he was a king .
They kind of all do.
But King Henry of England wasapparently quite short in
stature, with bright red hair, around, freckled face and gray
eyes that grew bloodshot inanger frequently as a result of
his formidable temper.
And now Beckett had returned,defied him immediately and
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punished his most loyal bishops.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
It was in this moment of fury that Henry uttered the
words that would seal Beckett'sfate.
The most famous version of hiswords are, quote will no one rid
me of this turbulent priest endquote.
It's not clear if Henry II saidthose exact words, and it's
likely that they were twisted tomake the situation sound even
(30:25):
more dramatic.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Contemporary or near contemporary sources offer
slightly different.
Contemporary or nearcontemporary sources offer
slightly different, thoughequally potent versions.
One contemporary chroniclerreported henry lamenting quote
what miserable drones andtraitors I have nurtured and
promoted in my household who lettheir lord be treated with such
shameful contempt by a low-bornclerk.
(30:47):
End quote.
Another chronicle suggestedwords to the effect of quote a
man who has eaten my bread hasshamed my realm and no one has
avenged me.
End quote.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Regardless of the precise phrasing, the sentiment
was unmistakable the king feltbetrayed and humiliated by
Thomas Beckett, this lowbornclerk, and expressed extreme
frustration that none of hisloyal followers were dealing
with the problem.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
And four knights of his household Reginald Fitzurce,
hugh de Morville, william deTracy and Richard Le Breton
heard his words.
They interpreted the king'srage perhaps correctly, perhaps
opportunistically, as a desire,if not an explicit command, for
Beckett to be permanentlyeliminated.
(31:34):
They saw a chance to win royalfavor by acting decisively.
The power of the king's angrywords, whether intended as an
order or not, had set a deadlycourse.
This ambiguity would laterprovide Henry with a degree of
plausible deniability, but theincident serves as a chilling
example of how a leader'srhetoric, especially when
expressing fury, can beinterpreted as a command by
(31:57):
subordinates eager to please.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
The four knights acted swiftly.
They left Henry's court inNormandy without delay, crossed
the English Channel, possiblygathering reinforcements along
the way, and rode hard forCanterbury.
They arrived late in theafternoon of December 29, 1170.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Their first move was to confront Beckett in the
archbishop's palace adjacent tothe cathedral.
They burst in, possiblyinterrupting his meal, and they
accused Beckett of treasonagainst the king and demanded
that he absolve theexcommunicated bishops and
accompany them to Winchester toanswer for his actions.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Beckett remained calm but defiant.
He refused their demands.
The knights, perhaps initiallyintending only to arrest, grew
enraged by his refusal.
They stormed out, shoutingthreats and calling for their
weapons, which they had leftoutside.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
As evening fell, the monks urged Beckett to take
sanctuary within the cathedralwhere vespers were beginning.
Beckett was initially hesitant,not wanting to show fear, but
eventually they persuaded him.
As they hurried him through thecloisters towards the church,
the knights now armed withswords and axes were close
behind.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
The monks rushed to bolt the heavy cathedral doors
against the attackers, butBeckett forbade it, quote.
It is not right to make afortress out of the house of
prayer.
End quote.
He declared, ordering the doorsopened.
It was a decision that sealedhis fate but cemented his image
as a martyr willing to face hisdestiny.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Four knights, along with a double-crossing priest
named Hugh de Horcet, burst intothe darkening cathedral.
The sound of the servicefaltered as panic spread among
the few monks and townspeoplepresent.
The knights roared.
Where is Thomas Beckett,traitor to the king and the
kingdom?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Beckett stepped forward from his position near
the altar.
Here I am, he replied.
No traitor to the king, but apriest of God.
Why do you seek me?
End quote.
The knights again demanded heabsolve the bishops.
Again, thomas Becket refused.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
The knights shouted then you shall die.
And in response Becket said,quote I am ready to die for my
Lord that in my blood the churchmay obtain liberty and peace.
But in the name of Almighty God, I forbid you to hurt my people
, whether clerk or lay.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
The knights lunged at him, trying to drag him bodily
out of the cathedral, perhapsstill hoping to avoid killing
him within the sacred walls.
But Beckett resisted fiercely,clinging to a pillar.
He pushed the knight ReginaldFitzur's back, shouting quote
touch me not, reginald.
You owe me fealty andsubjection.
You and your accomplices actlike madmen.
(35:11):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
The act of defiance seemed to be the final spark.
Fitzurce raised his sword andbrought it down on Beckett's
head.
At this moment, Edward Grimm, avisiting priest from Cambridge
who had remained with Beckettwhen the others had fled,
instinctively raised his own armto shield the archbishop.
Grimm's arm was nearly severedby the blow.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Beckett received the remainder of the blow on his
head, staggering but remainingupright.
A second blow struck him.
Still he stood firm.
At the third blow he finallyfell to his knees and elbows
near the altar steps, offeringhimself as a sacrifice and
whispering according to theinjured clerk quote for the name
(35:54):
of Jesus and the protection ofthe church, I am ready to
embrace death.
End quote.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
The attack descended into butchery.
The third night, RichardLabretton struck Beckett again
as he lay prone.
The sword blow so forceful itshattered the tip of the blade
on the stone floor and slicedoff the top of Beckett's skull.
Hugh de Morville, the fourthknight, held back the terrified
onlookers.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Then came the final gruesome act of desecration.
Hugh de Morville, the priestwho had accompanied the ninth
step forward, placed his foot onthe archbishop's neck and used
the point of his sword todeliberately scoop out Beckett's
brains and scatter them acrossthe cathedral pavement.
He reportedly shouted quote letus away, knights, this fellow
(36:40):
will rise, no more end.
Quote.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
The sheer brutality.
The escalation from attemptedarrest to frenzied killing and
desecration within the holiestsite in England ensured the
event would horrify the medievalworld and the worlds beyond.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
The murder of Thomas Beckett in his own cathedral on
December 29, 1170 was an eventof seismic proportions.
News spread rapidly, sendingshock waves of horror and
outrage across England andcontinental Europe.
This wasn't just the killing ofa high-ranking official.
It was the desecration of asacred space and the martyrdom
(37:18):
of the head of the EnglishCatholic Church.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Almost immediately, Beckett was venerated as a
martyr who had died defendingthe liberties of the church
against royal tyranny.
Eyewitnesses and monksreportedly scrambled to collect
relics from the scene, soakingcloths in his blood, gathering
fragments of his skull in hisbrain.
Later on, the blood collectedwas believed to possess
miraculous healing powers.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
And the miracle stories began almost at once.
Tales spread of the blindregaining sight, lepers being
cleansed and the paralyzedwalking, and in one famous story
depicted in Canterbury'sstained glass, a man named
Eelward having his eyes andgenitals miraculously restored
after being unjustly blinded andcastrated.
(38:04):
Monks at Canterbury, benedictof Peterborough and William of
Canterbury were tasked withrecording these accounts,
eventually compiling over 700purported miracles attributed to
Beckett's intercession within adecade of his death.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
This explosion of popular devotion and reported
miracles put immense pressure onthe papacy.
Pope Alexander III, who hadtrod carefully during Beckett's
exile, acted decisively afterhis death, recognizing the
political and religioussignificance of martyrdom he
spurred by overwhelming publicveneration, alexander canonized
(38:42):
Thomas Beckett, officiallydeclaring him a saint, on
February 21, 1173, just over twoyears after the murder.
This was an exceptionally rapidcanonization for the period.
The swift action servedmultiple purposes it honored a
figure seen as dying for churchrights, it condemned King
Henry's perceived role in themurder and it reasserted papal
(39:05):
authority.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
And what of King Henry II?
He was reportedly devastatedand horrified when he learned of
the murder.
Perhaps realizing theimplications of his angry words,
he faced internal condemnationand the threat of papal
sanctions.
The four knights wereexcommunicated by the Pope and
eventually sent to the Holy Landas penance.
(39:27):
Some records suggest that theKnight Richard de Brittain, as
well as the priest Hugh deHorcet, may have actually later
committed suicides by the swordsthey had used on Beckett, but
it's likely that such a storywas added on later to bolster
the image of Thomas Beckett as amartyr and a saint by 1173 or
(39:48):
1174, henry's reign was incrisis.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
His wife, eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons,
including the young King Henry,were in open rebellion against
him, supported by rivals likethe King of France and the King
of Scotland who invaded fromnorthern England.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
It seems as if the younger Henry was unhappy that,
despite the title of junior king, in practice he made no real
decisions and his father kepthim chronically short of money.
Eleanor and King Henry'smarriage had been a series of
battles from the very beginning,with Eleanor trying to control
her husband and Henry resisting,often by engaging in
(40:27):
extramarital affairs.
By engaging in extramaritalaffairs, Some historians have
even suggested that Eleanor wasthe one who instigated the
revolt and encouraged her sonsto rise up against their father.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Regardless of who started it.
To many, perhaps includingHenry himself, this confluence
of disasters seemed like divineretribution for Beckett's death.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Recognizing the political and perhaps spiritual
necessity, King Henry undertooka dramatic act of public penance
in July of 1174.
Arriving near Canterbury, hedismounted and walked the final
miles into the city barefoot,dressed humbly as a pilgrim,
possibly in sackcloth.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Reaching the cathedral, he went straight to
Becket's tomb.
In the crypt there, before thetomb of his former
friend-turned-adversary, theKing of England knelt, confessed
his sins and submitted himselfto be scourged, whipped by the
assembled bishops and monks,receiving possibly hundreds of
lashes.
He then spent the entire nightin prayer and vigil at the tomb.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
This extraordinary display of royal humility and
contrition was a masterful pieceof political theater, but
perhaps also held genuinefeelings for Henry.
Its effect was immediate andprofound.
The very next day, news arrivedthat William the Lion, the King
of Scotland, had been captured.
Next day, news arrived thatWilliam the Lion, the King of
(41:53):
Scotland, had been captured,effectively ending the northern
invasion.
Shortly thereafter, therebellion of Henry's sons
collapsed and they sought hisforgiveness.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
It appeared to all that St Thomas Becket had
accepted the king's penance andthat divine favor was restored
to Henry's rule.
Henry himself seemed convinced,becoming a frequent pilgrim and
patron of the Beckett cultthereafter.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
The murder of Thomas Beckett.
His rapid sainthood and theking's dramatic penance left an
indelible mark on England andEurope.
What were the long-termconsequences of this historical
crime?
Speaker 1 (42:27):
In terms of the immediate power struggle between
the church and state, theoutcome was something of a
compromise, though arguably onethat favored the church's moral
standing.
King Henry II was forced toformally renounce the most
controversial clauses of theconstitutions of Clarendon as
part of his reconciliation withthe papacy.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
So Beckett and death achieved a victory for what he
had fought so fiercely forBeckett and death achieved a
victory for what he had foughtso fiercely for.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
In principle, yes, the church's right to judge its
own clergy and the ability toappeal to the pope were formally
acknowledged, strengthening thechurch's independence from
direct royal control in thesecrucial areas.
Henry remained a powerful king,but Beckett's martyrdom
undeniably bolstered thechurch's position and set limits
on the royal power that wouldresonate for centuries.
It demonstrated that even aformidable monarch could be
(43:17):
checked by the moral andpolitical force of the church,
especially embodied in a popularmartyr.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
And the impact of Canterbury itself was immense.
Beckett's death transformed thecathedral city.
Fueled by the accounts ofmiracles and the official
sanction of sainthood,Canterbury Cathedral, and
specifically Beckett's tomb inthe crypt, became one of the
foremost pilgrimage sites inChristendom.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Pilgrims came from all over England and Europe,
kings, nobles, commoners,seeking healing, forgiveness or
simply be near the relics of theholy martyr.
This influx brought enormousprestige and wealth to
Canterbury, funding therebuilding and expansion of the
cathedral, including themagnificent Trinity Chapel built
specifically to house Beckett'sshrine after his relics were
(44:06):
moved there in a grand ceremonyin 1220 were moved there in a
grand ceremony in 1220.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
It's this vibrant pilgrimage culture that forms
the backdrop for GeoffreyChaucer's famous work, the
Canterbury Tales, written in thelate 14th century, where
diverse characters journeytogether to Beckett's shrine.
The Beckett cult was deeplywoven into the fabric of English
life for nearly 400 years.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Until another King, henry.
King Henry VIII clashed withthe Catholic Church During the
English Reformation of 1538,.
Henry VIII ordered thedestruction of Becket's shrine,
the confiscation of itstreasures, and that Becket's
bones be burned and scattered.
He even decreed that Becketshould no longer be referred to
(44:52):
as a saint but as a traitor tohis king.
It was an attempt to erase thememory of a churchman who had
successfully defied a king.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
But the story endeared.
The murder of Thomas Beckettremains a potent historical
event.
It was a crime born of a clashof wills, a struggle for power
between secular and religiousauthority and the tragic
breakdown of a deep personalfriendship.
It highlights the immense powerof religious belief and
martyrdom in shaping medievalsocieties and politics.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Beckett himself remains a figure of debate.
Was he a principled defender ofthe faith and church liberty,
or a stubborn, ambitiousarchbishop who tragically
miscalculated?
Perhaps he was elements of both, but his violent death in
Canterbury Cathedral stands asone of history's most resonant
crimes, a moment where faith,power and personal animosity
(45:42):
collided with devastatingconsequences.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
The story of Thomas Beckett serves as a powerful
reminder of the complex andoften violent interplay between
religious authority and statepower throughout history.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Thanks for joining us on History's Greatest Crimes.
I'm Michael.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
And I'm Elena Until next time stay curious, thank
(46:20):
you.
Welcome back to History's Greatest Crimes.
I'm Michael.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And I'm Elena Join us as we step back into the
shadows of the past, uncoveringthe motives, methods and
consequences of history's mostshocking transgressions of
history's most shockingtransgressions.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Tonight we travel back to 12th century England, a
world of powerful kings,burgeoning law and an equally
powerful church.
Our destination CanterburyCathedral.
On a bitterly cold evening,december 29th 1170.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Inside Vespers, the evening prayer service is
underway.
Monks are chanting, candlelightflickers across stone pillars,
but the sanctity of the momentis about to be shattered.
Four knights loyal to KingHenry II of England burst into
the sacred space clad in armor,swords drawn.
They are shouting for one man.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Where is Thomas Beckett, traitor to the king and
the kingdom?
They ask the man they seek.
The Archbishop of Canterburystands defiant.
Minutes later he lies dead onthe cathedral floor, his skull
brutally cleaved upon, his bloodstaining the flagstones near
the altar this was more thanjust murder.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It was an act of profound sacrilege as well as a
political assassination.
It was the culmination of ayears long bitter feud between
church and state, personified bytwo towering figures Archbishop
Thomas Becket and King Henry IIof England.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And woven through.
It all is a story of friendshipturn and midi, of loyalty
twisted into betrayal.
Archbishop Becket had once beenKing Henry's closest confidant,
his chancellor, his right-handman.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So how did this loyal servant become the turbulent
priest whose death the kingseemed to demand?
How did a monarch's angryoutburst, possibly
misinterpreted, lead to one ofthe most infamous crimes of the
Middle Ages?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Tonight on History's Greatest Crimes.
We investigate the murder ofThomas Becket.
Will traces unlikely rise,Explore the explosive conflict
with King Henry II, follow himinto exile and witness his fatal
return, and then we'll examinethe shocking aftermath that
transformed a murderedarchbishop into a powerful saint
and forever altered the courseof English history.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
To understand the crime we need to understand the
victim, and Thomas Beckett'spath to power was not typical
for his time.
He wasn't born into the highnobility.
He entered the world around1119 or 1120 in London.
His parents, Gilbert andMatilda, were Norman immigrants.
We have to remember that atthis point the kingdom of
(03:07):
England included not justEngland but also most of Western
France.
This connection between Englandand France, particularly from
the Normandy region, had existedsince the Norman invasion of
England in 1066, when Williamthe Conqueror invaded and took
over.
So Thomas Beckett, as well ashis parents, likely spoke
medieval French as their firstlanguage, despite living in
(03:30):
England.
It wouldn't be cool to speakEnglish in England until the
15th century due to the HundredYears' War.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Thomas' parents were part of the merchant class,
perhaps dealing in wine ortextiles.
Often called the 12th centuryrenaissance by historians, the
12th century in Europe was atime of economic and cultural
growth.
The climate warmed slightlyaround this time, resulting in
better crop yields.
The Viking raids were mostlyover, so people started feeling
(03:57):
safe enough to start travelingand trading extensively again,
and the result was the rise ofcapitalism, bigger cities and
the spread of a new intellectualand cultural ideas and trends.
As a result, a merchant classbegan to emerge in medieval
Europe that was different fromthe traditional three medieval
social categories of peasants,the religious clergy and the
(04:21):
royal and noble elite.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Merchants in the 12th century, like Thomas Beckett's
parents, didn't hold officialtitles or large amounts of land,
but many were very financiallysuccessful and became wealthy.
Young Thomas Beckett received asolid education for the era,
studying at Merton Priory andlater in London and Paris.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
At this time, Merton Priory was a center of learning
and diplomacy.
Being a priory, the school wasreligious at its core.
It was actually under theauthority of Augustinian monks
at the time, and many studentsat Merton Priory started their
education with the intention ofbecoming a priest or bishop or
another office connected to theCatholic Church.
(05:04):
But it seems that Thomas wasinitially destined to use his
education to follow in hisparents' merchant footsteps.
That was the plan at least,until Thomas' parents suffered
some financial reverses.
At that point he pivoted tobecoming a clerk instead.
The role of a clerk during theMiddle Ages was to document and
maintain the handwritten recordsof the day-to-day operations
(05:28):
and business of the royal courtsor other important households
and organizations.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Thomas's break came in the 1140s when he became the
clerk for the household ofTheobald of Beck, the Archbishop
of Canterbury.
This was a pivotal connection.
The Archbishop of Canterburywas.
This was a pivotal connection.
The Archbishop of Canterburywas traditionally the leader of
the Catholic Church in England,the pinnacle of ecclesiastical
authority on the island.
Under the leadership of theArchbishop of Canterbury,
(05:56):
beckett proved himselfintelligent, charming and highly
capable.
He undertook important missionsfor Theobald.
He undertook important missionsfor Theobald, including trips
to Rome, and he studied canonlaw abroad.
His rise was swift.
By 1154, he was appointedarchdeacon of Canterbury, a
significant and lucrative post.
In exceptionally large dioceseslike that of Canterbury,
(06:20):
archbishops often had severalarchdeacons who helped with
administrative and businessduties.
But unlike most posts in theCatholic Church, one did not
need to be an ordained priest tobecome an archdeacon.
They could be an educatedmember of the laity.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It was Archbishop Theobald who saw Beckett's
administrative genius anddiplomatic skill.
When the young, energetic HenryII ascended the throne and
became king, Theobaldrecommended Beckett for the
position of Lord Chancellor, andHenry appointed him to that
position in January of 1155.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
This marked the beginning of an extraordinary
friendship.
Henry II, barely into his 20s,and Beckett, about 15 years his
senior, became inseparablecompanions as Lord Chancellor,
beckett was the king's chiefminister, helping him to oversee
government administration, andhe also served as advisor in
both spiritual and temporalmatters.
(07:16):
As a result, thomas Beckett andKing Henry hunted together,
traveled together.
Contemporaries remarked thatthey seemed to share quote one
heart and one mind, end quote.
The king trusted Beckettimplicitly, even placing his own
son and heir, young Henry, inBeckett's household to be raised
and educated a common practiceamong the nobility then.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
As chancellor Beckett was fiercely loyal and
incredibly effective in servingthe king's agenda, he
essentially became the chiefminister overseeing government
administration.
He was instrumental in Henry'sefforts to centralize power and
restore royal authority over thechaotic reign of King Stephen.
Stephen spent most of his20-year reign in a civil war for
(08:00):
the throne with Empress Matilda.
When Stephen unexpectedly diedfrom stomach disease in 1154,
empress Matilda.
When Stephen unexpectedly diedfrom stomach disease in 1154,
empress Matilda's son, henry II,became king.
When Henry became the king ofEngland, he immediately sought
to impose order and refill theroyal coffers.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Beckett's loyalty extended to the battlefield.
He personally led 700 knightsinto combat during one of
Henry's campaigns in France toregain lands belonging to his
queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Eleanor, the duchess of a veryimportant, quite large region in
southwest France, hadpreviously been married to the
king of France, Louis VII, for15 years.
(08:41):
Apparently, that union didn'twork out because in 1152,
Eleanor and King Louis had theirmarriage annulled.
Eleanor quickly remarried KingHenry II of England in 1154, the
arch rival of the King ofFrance, and of course King Henry
, wanted Eleanor's territory inFrance back from the King of
France, who of course wanted tokeep it.
(09:02):
Henry II was ultimatelysuccessful in his efforts and
throughout it, Lord ChancellorThomas Becket was in every sense
the king's man enforcing royalpolicy, even when it clashed
with the church's interests.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And he certainly enjoyed the rewards.
Becket lived a life of immensewealth and ostentation.
His trip to Paris in 1158 waslegendary for its extravagance
250 servants, wagons loaded withEnglish beer, a mobile chapel
and 24 changes of clothes forhimself.
He held a vast estate and hegifted to him by the king and he
(09:39):
maintained a personal army.
He was known for lavish partiesand fine living.
One story tells of him spendingan astronomical sum on a dish
of eels.
This worldly powerful figure,deeply enmeshed in royal service
and personal friendship withthe king, seemed the furthest
thing from a future martyr.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
It's this very image the loyal, effective, worldly
chancellor, deeply invested inthe king's power and enjoying
its benefits that makes whathappened next so dramatic.
His very success instrengthening royal authority,
sometimes at the church'sexpense, set the stage for an
incredible reversal when hisrole changed.
(10:20):
The depth of the friendshipalso adds a layer of tragedy.
This wasn't just a politicaldispute that turned deadly.
It was the shattering of aprofound personal bond, which
likely fueled the bitterness andintensity of the conflict to
come.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
So what changed?
Well, the turning point came in1161, with the death of
Theobald, the Archbishop ofCanterbury.
King Henry II, seeking toconsolidate his control over all
aspects of the kingdom, saw astrategic opening.
He wanted to bring the powerfuland often independent English
Catholic Church more firmlyunder his royal authority.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
It's interesting because, as we explained, henry
II was attempting to regaincontrol and assert his power
over England after the crazyreign of King Stephen before him
.
But his efforts to expandauthority and control as king
were also part of a larger trendgoing on in Western Europe at
the time.
Over the course of the 11thcentury, the power of the
(11:42):
Catholic Church, andspecifically the Pope, over
Europe and rulers had grownconsistently, culminating in the
First Crusade of 1096.
However, during the 12thcentury, the tide changed and
rulers like Henry II of Englandbegan to try to claw back some
of the power the crown hadpreviously lost to the church
(12:02):
and the nobility.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
And who better to help Henry achieve this than his
most loyal chancellor, ThomasBecket?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's right.
Michael Henry's calculation wasclear Appoint his closest
friend and most effectiveadministrator to the highest
office in the English CatholicChurch.
Archbishop of Canterbury,becket Henry assumed would
continue to prioritize thecrown's interests, effectively
making the king master of bothchurch and state.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It was, on the surface, a politically astute
move, but also an unconventionalone.
Beckett, as we've heard, wasliving a very secular life,
enjoying the finest of foods andexperiences the world had to
offer.
More significantly, beckettwasn't even ordained as a priest
(12:54):
.
He had been educated to be oneand often had worked closely
with them and with the churchofficials, like Theobald of Beck
, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But he had only been a clerkthen and then later held the
office of deacon, for which onecould be just a member of the
laity.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
When King Henry voiced his suggestion that
Beckett become ordained and takethe post of Archbishop of
Canterbury, beckett was hesitant.
He reportedly warned Henry thatdirectly appointing him
Archbishop would fundamentallychange the relationship and that
he could not serve two mastersking and god in the way Henry
(13:30):
envisaged.
He foresaw the conflict thatHenry seemed blind to.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
But Henry, perhaps dismissing Beckett's concern as
false modesty or underestimatingthe power of the office,
pressed ahead with his plan.
Beckett was nominated and hiselection confirmed by the royal
council in May of 1162.
He was swiftly ordained as apriest on June 2nd and
consecrated Archbishop ofCanterbury the following day,
(13:57):
june 3rd 1162.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Henry must have felt triumphant.
He had his man in place, buthis expectation of continued
loyalty was immediately anddramatically shattered.
Beckett underwent a profoundtransformation, the reasons for
which remain debated byhistorians to this day.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
One of his first acts as archbishop was to resign the
chancellorship.
This was a crucial symbolicbreak.
It signaled that his primaryallegiance had shifted from the
king to the church, directlythwarting Henry's plan to unite
both roles under his influence.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Thomas's lifestyle changed completely.
The extravagant courtiervanished, replaced by an ascetic
churchman.
He reportedly gave away hiswealth, adopted simple clothing,
perhaps even the famouslyuncomfortable hair shirt worn as
penance, and dedicated himselfto prayer, study and charitable
works.
He embraced his new role withthe same intensity and
(14:58):
dedication he had previouslyshown the king, but now his
focus was solely on defendingthe rights and liberties of the
church.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So what drove this change?
Was it a genuine spiritualawakening, a deep conversion
experience prompted by theweight of his new office?
Or was it a more calculatedmove, recognizing that his power
base now lay within the churchhierarchy, requiring him to
champion the church's causeinstead?
Perhaps it was simply Beckett'scharacter a man driven to excel
(15:29):
in whatever role he occupied,applying his formidable
administrative skills anddetermination now on the
church's benefit.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We can't know for sure.
The lack of a definitiveexplanation from contemporaries
adds to the enigma of ThomasBeckett.
But whatever the internalmotivation, the external result
was clear the king's loyalfriend had become the church's
staunch defender, setting thestage for an epic confrontation.
(15:58):
Henry's political masterstrokehad backfired spectacularly.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
The conflict between King Henry II and Archbishop
Thomas Becket wasn't slow toignite.
With Becket transformed into azealous defender of
ecclesiastical rights, clashesbecame inevitable.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
At its heart.
This was a fundamental struggleover sovereignty in England.
Where did ultimate authoritylie?
With the monarch, responsiblefor law and order throughout the
realm, or with the churchclaiming spiritual authority and
specific legal privilegesgranted by God and tradition?
Speaker 1 (16:34):
This abstract conflict manifested in very
concrete disputes.
Beckett began aggressivelytrying to recover church lands
and properties he felt had beenwrongly alienated over the years
.
He challenged the king's rightto levy certain taxes on the
church holdings and he assertedthe church's independent right
to excommunicate individuals,even the powerful elite, without
(16:57):
seeking the king's permissionfirst.
This was a direct challenge toroyal authority over the
nobility.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
But the issue that truly brought the conflict to
boiling point was thelong-simmering problem of
criminous clerks.
This wasn't just about a fewmisbehaving priests.
In the 12th century, thedefinition of clergy was broad,
including not just priests andmonks, but anyone who had taken
even minor holy orders,potentially encompassing scribes
(17:28):
, teachers and a significantportion, perhaps as much as a
fifth, of the adult malepopulation.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Under longstanding tradition, known as benefit of
clergy, these individuals claimthe right to be tried
exclusively in ecclesiasticalcourts, in the Catholic Church,
rather than in the kingdom'sroyal courts, and this was a
right that apparently could beclaimed by a segment of a
population regardless of thecrime committed.
(17:55):
Henry II, deeply invested inreforming and centralizing the
English legal system under theroyal control, saw this as a
major impediment to hispolitical goals.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
The key problem was the disparity and punishment.
Church courts, guided by canonlaw, were forbidden from
imposing sentences that involvedshedding blood.
This meant that a clericconvicted of a serious felony
like murder or rape might facepenalties such as fines,
flogging, imprisonment or beingdefrocked, stripped of their
(18:30):
clerical status.
In contrast, the same crimetried in the king's secular
courts could result in brutalpunishments like mutilation or
execution.
Punishments like mutilation orexecution.
King Henry II argued thissystem allowed criminals to
escape proper justice simplybecause they had some connection
to the Catholic Church,undermining law and order across
(18:52):
the kingdom.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
The context of this is interesting.
As we explained, king Henry IIhad a general plan to grow his
power and authority in England,just like many other rulers.
At the same time, however, kingHenry was particularly angry
about one notorious caseinvolving a church canon named
Philip de Bois.
Philip was, and had been,accused of murdering a knight,
(19:17):
but he was acquitted in a churchcourt.
Unhappy with the outcome, oneof the king's officials sought
to reopen the case in the king'scourt, but Philippe de Bois
refused to be tried again on thegrounds that he was a cleric,
and he apparently told theking's officials that he could
not be tried, and he used somerather foul language to do so.
(19:37):
When King Henry II learnedabout what happened, he insisted
that the man be tried again forthe murder and anew for his
insulting, foul language.
But instead Philip was merelybanished, showing the woeful
inadequacy of the CatholicChurch in punishing serious
crimes.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Specifically concerning people connected to
the Church who were accused ofcrimes.
King Henry proposed a solutionthat involved a two-step process
.
A cleric accused of a crimewould first be brought before a
royal court.
If it was confirmed that he wasindeed a cleric, the trial
itself would proceed in thechurch court, but, crucially, a
(20:17):
royal official would observe theproceedings to represent the
king's presence.
And if the church court foundthe cleric guilty and defrocked
him, he would then be handedback to the king's court now as
a layman, to receive thestandard secular punishment.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Beckett fiercely resisted this proposal.
He argued it violated theprinciple of clerical immunity
from secular courts.
Furthermore, he contended itconstituted double jeopardy
punishing a man twice for thesame offense, first by
defrocking in the church court,then by secular sentence in the
king's court.
He stood firm on the Catholicchurch's exclusive right to
(20:57):
judge and punish its own.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
The confrontation escalated dramatically at the
Council of Clarendon in January1164.
Henry presented 16 specificarticles called the
Constitutions of Clarendon, andhe demanded the bishops swear a
formal oath to uphold them.
The act of writing them downand demanding sworn allegiance
(21:21):
represented a significantattempt to permanently limit
church autonomy and lock inroyal interpretation against
evolving canon law.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
The constitutions asserted royal power in other
key areas.
They required the king'spermission for clergy to leave
England or appeal cases to thepope in Rome, limiting the
church's power ofexcommunication.
And giving the king controlover revenues from vacant
bishopries and abbeys.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Under intense pressure from the king, Beckham
initially seemed to waver givinga verbal assent to the customs,
but when faced with the writtenconstitutions and the demand
for an oath, he ultimatelyrefused to give his formal seal,
specifically objecting to theclauses that undermine church
authority.
The king was furious.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
King Henry II did not take Beckett's defiance lightly
.
The refusal of Clarendon wasfollowed swiftly by retribution.
In October 1164, he summonedBeckett to a council at
Northampton Castle.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
This wasn't a negotiation and it was
effectively a show trial.
Beckett faced a barrage ofcharges, including contempt of
court for failing to appearpreviously in a land dispute and
, more seriously, accusations ofembezzlement and financial
irregularities dating back tohis time as chancellor.
King Henry seemed determined toruin Beckett, force his
(22:49):
resignation and or imprison him.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The atmosphere was hostile.
Standing there before Henry IIwhile his barons shouted traitor
at Beckett, he realized hisposition in England was
untenable.
He stormed out of his faketrial and made a dramatic escape
, fleeing under the cover ofdarkness to the coast of England
.
There he crossed the Channelinto France, where he endured a
(23:12):
six-year exile under theprotection of Henry's political
enemy, King Louis VII of France.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
His first refuge was a Cistercian abbey in Burgundy,
a central French region thatbelonged to the French crown.
Here Beckett lived an asceticlife, joined by some members of
his household who had followedhim, but the peace the abbey
offered only lasted a year.
At that point in 1166, KingHenry threatened to expel the
(23:40):
entire Cistercian order from hisextensive territories in
England and France if theycontinued to shelter Thomas
Becket.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Both Archbishop Becket and King Henry appealed
to Pope Alexander III.
The Pope, however, was in aprecarious position himself.
He was currently engaged in astruggle with the Holy Roman
Emperor.
Frederick Barbarossa, whosupported a rival, anti-pope
Alexander was residing in exilein France and desperately needed
(24:08):
the powerful support of rulers,especially King Henry II.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
This meant Pope Alexander had to perform a
delicate balancing act.
He clearly sympathized withBecket's defense of church
liberties and refused Henry'srequest to depose the archbishop
, but he couldn't afford tocompletely alienate the English
king.
Consequently, he pursued a pathof diplomacy, sending Papal
(24:35):
legates in 1167 and 1169 tomediate and negotiate a
settlement.
But these efforts provedfruitless.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The conflict remained deeply personal and intractable
.
Henry pursued Becketrelentlessly, issuing edicts
against him and confiscating thelands and revenues of the Sea
of Canterbury and of Becket'srelatives and supporters back in
England.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Beett, from exile, wielded his spiritual authority.
He excommunicated several ofHenry's key advisors and bishops
who had sided with the king,including the influential Bishop
of London.
He repeatedly threatened toplace all of Henry's lands under
interdict.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
That's right, elena.
Under interdict, the residentsof an affected region would not
be able to experience any publicchurch services or sacraments,
essentially risking theirspiritual health, their
relationship with God or evengetting into heaven.
The idea behind placing thelands of someone, generally a
ruler or powerful politicalleader, under interdict was to
(25:39):
encourage the residents torevolt against their ruler and
pressure them back down to thechurch.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
For six years this stalemate persisted.
Beckett, convinced he wasfighting for fundamental
principles of church freedom,refused to compromise.
King Henry, equally stubborn,refused to yield on what he
considered his royal rights asking.
Neither side would budge.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
After six long years of exile and stalemate, the
deadlock began to break,ironically, triggered by King
Henry's actions concerning hisown succession.
Determined to secure the thronefor his eldest son, also named
Henry, the king decided to havehim crowned as junior king
during his own lifetime.
This practice of crowning aking's nominated successor while
(26:47):
the original king was stillalive was something the French
Capetian dynasty had used forabout 200 years at this point,
and it had the effect of easinginstability during successions
and deepening the associationbetween the dynasty and the
kingdom, since the Capetianswere able to provide their
subjects with an already crownedand anointed junior king ready
(27:09):
to step into the senior role.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
However, the traditional right to crown
English monarchs, whether theywere junior kings or real kings,
was supposed to belong solelyto the Archbishop of Canterbury.
With Becket still in exile,Henry II controversially had the
Archbishop of York perform thecoronation ceremony in
Westminster Abbey in June of1170.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
This was a calculated insult and a flagrant violation
of Canterbury's privileges.
Becket was furious.
So was Pope Alexander III, aswell as King Louis VII of France
, although King Louis was madprimarily because his daughter,
margaret, who was married to theyoung Henry, hadn't been
crowned alongside him.
The Pope, on the other hand,was mad all the way around and
(27:57):
threatened Henry's continentalterritories with an interdict.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Facing this significant pressure, Henry was
finally forced to seek a genuinereconciliation with Beckett.
The two met in Normandy in Julyof 1170.
An agreement was reached.
Henry promised to restoreBeckett to his sea and return
the confiscated properties andrevenues of Canterbury.
In return, Beckett could comeback to England.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But this reconciliation was deeply flawed
, it seemed.
The fundamental issues that haddriven the conflict,
particularly the constitutionsof Clarendon and the
jurisdiction over criminousclerks, were not definitively
resolved.
They were essentially paperedover.
Beckett himself reportedlyexpressed foreboding at the end
of the meeting, telling Henryquote my Lord, my heart tells me
(28:49):
that I depart as one whom youwill not see again.
End quote.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Beckett prepared for his return to England, but he
wasn't coming back entirely in aspirit of peace.
Armed with papal authority, hearranged for letters of
excommunication to be deliveredagainst the Archbishop of York
and the bishops of London andSalisbury for their role in the
illicit coronation.
These were delivered eitherjust before he sailed or
(29:16):
immediately upon his landing inEngland on December 1st of 1170.
There he was greeted byenthusiastic crowds hailing him
as a returning hero.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
When the excommunicated bishops rushed to
complain to Henry, who washolding his Christmas court in
Normandy at the time, the kingfell into one of his notorious
rages.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
King Henry II had quite the temper, huh.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I mean, he was a king .
They kind of all do.
But King Henry of England wasapparently quite short in
stature, with bright red hair, around, freckled face and gray
eyes that grew bloodshot inanger frequently as a result of
his formidable temper.
And now Beckett had returned,defied him immediately and
(30:01):
punished his most loyal bishops.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
It was in this moment of fury that Henry uttered the
words that would seal Beckett'sfate.
The most famous version of hiswords are, quote will no one rid
me of this turbulent priest endquote.
It's not clear if Henry II saidthose exact words, and it's
likely that they were twisted tomake the situation sound even
(30:25):
more dramatic.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Contemporary or near contemporary sources offer
slightly different.
Contemporary or nearcontemporary sources offer
slightly different, thoughequally potent versions.
One contemporary chroniclerreported henry lamenting quote
what miserable drones andtraitors I have nurtured and
promoted in my household who lettheir lord be treated with such
shameful contempt by a low-bornclerk.
(30:47):
End quote.
Another chronicle suggestedwords to the effect of quote a
man who has eaten my bread hasshamed my realm and no one has
avenged me.
End quote.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Regardless of the precise phrasing, the sentiment
was unmistakable the king feltbetrayed and humiliated by
Thomas Beckett, this lowbornclerk, and expressed extreme
frustration that none of hisloyal followers were dealing
with the problem.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
And four knights of his household Reginald Fitzurce,
hugh de Morville, william deTracy and Richard Le Breton
heard his words.
They interpreted the king'srage perhaps correctly, perhaps
opportunistically, as a desire,if not an explicit command, for
Beckett to be permanentlyeliminated.
(31:34):
They saw a chance to win royalfavor by acting decisively.
The power of the king's angrywords, whether intended as an
order or not, had set a deadlycourse.
This ambiguity would laterprovide Henry with a degree of
plausible deniability, but theincident serves as a chilling
example of how a leader'srhetoric, especially when
expressing fury, can beinterpreted as a command by
(31:57):
subordinates eager to please.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
The four knights acted swiftly.
They left Henry's court inNormandy without delay, crossed
the English Channel, possiblygathering reinforcements along
the way, and rode hard forCanterbury.
They arrived late in theafternoon of December 29, 1170.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Their first move was to confront Beckett in the
archbishop's palace adjacent tothe cathedral.
They burst in, possiblyinterrupting his meal, and they
accused Beckett of treasonagainst the king and demanded
that he absolve theexcommunicated bishops and
accompany them to Winchester toanswer for his actions.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Beckett remained calm but defiant.
He refused their demands.
The knights, perhaps initiallyintending only to arrest, grew
enraged by his refusal.
They stormed out, shoutingthreats and calling for their
weapons, which they had leftoutside.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
As evening fell, the monks urged Beckett to take
sanctuary within the cathedralwhere vespers were beginning.
Beckett was initially hesitant,not wanting to show fear, but
eventually they persuaded him.
As they hurried him through thecloisters towards the church,
the knights now armed withswords and axes were close
behind.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
The monks rushed to bolt the heavy cathedral doors
against the attackers, butBeckett forbade it, quote.
It is not right to make afortress out of the house of
prayer.
End quote.
He declared, ordering the doorsopened.
It was a decision that sealedhis fate but cemented his image
as a martyr willing to face hisdestiny.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Four knights, along with a double-crossing priest
named Hugh de Horcet, burst intothe darkening cathedral.
The sound of the servicefaltered as panic spread among
the few monks and townspeoplepresent.
The knights roared.
Where is Thomas Beckett,traitor to the king and the
kingdom?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Beckett stepped forward from his position near
the altar.
Here I am, he replied.
No traitor to the king, but apriest of God.
Why do you seek me?
End quote.
The knights again demanded heabsolve the bishops.
Again, thomas Becket refused.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
The knights shouted then you shall die.
And in response Becket said,quote I am ready to die for my
Lord that in my blood the churchmay obtain liberty and peace.
But in the name of Almighty God, I forbid you to hurt my people
, whether clerk or lay.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
The knights lunged at him, trying to drag him bodily
out of the cathedral, perhapsstill hoping to avoid killing
him within the sacred walls.
But Beckett resisted fiercely,clinging to a pillar.
He pushed the knight ReginaldFitzur's back, shouting quote
touch me not, reginald.
You owe me fealty andsubjection.
You and your accomplices actlike madmen.
(35:11):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
The act of defiance seemed to be the final spark.
Fitzurce raised his sword andbrought it down on Beckett's
head.
At this moment, Edward Grimm, avisiting priest from Cambridge
who had remained with Beckettwhen the others had fled,
instinctively raised his own armto shield the archbishop.
Grimm's arm was nearly severedby the blow.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Beckett received the remainder of the blow on his
head, staggering but remainingupright.
A second blow struck him.
Still he stood firm.
At the third blow he finallyfell to his knees and elbows
near the altar steps, offeringhimself as a sacrifice and
whispering according to theinjured clerk quote for the name
(35:54):
of Jesus and the protection ofthe church, I am ready to
embrace death.
End quote.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
The attack descended into butchery.
The third night, RichardLabretton struck Beckett again
as he lay prone.
The sword blow so forceful itshattered the tip of the blade
on the stone floor and slicedoff the top of Beckett's skull.
Hugh de Morville, the fourthknight, held back the terrified
onlookers.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Then came the final gruesome act of desecration.
Hugh de Morville, the priestwho had accompanied the ninth
step forward, placed his foot onthe archbishop's neck and used
the point of his sword todeliberately scoop out Beckett's
brains and scatter them acrossthe cathedral pavement.
He reportedly shouted quote letus away, knights, this fellow
(36:40):
will rise, no more end.
Quote.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
The sheer brutality.
The escalation from attemptedarrest to frenzied killing and
desecration within the holiestsite in England ensured the
event would horrify the medievalworld and the worlds beyond.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
The murder of Thomas Beckett in his own cathedral on
December 29, 1170 was an eventof seismic proportions.
News spread rapidly, sendingshock waves of horror and
outrage across England andcontinental Europe.
This wasn't just the killing ofa high-ranking official.
It was the desecration of asacred space and the martyrdom
(37:18):
of the head of the EnglishCatholic Church.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Almost immediately, Beckett was venerated as a
martyr who had died defendingthe liberties of the church
against royal tyranny.
Eyewitnesses and monksreportedly scrambled to collect
relics from the scene, soakingcloths in his blood, gathering
fragments of his skull in hisbrain.
Later on, the blood collectedwas believed to possess
miraculous healing powers.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
And the miracle stories began almost at once.
Tales spread of the blindregaining sight, lepers being
cleansed and the paralyzedwalking, and in one famous story
depicted in Canterbury'sstained glass, a man named
Eelward having his eyes andgenitals miraculously restored
after being unjustly blinded andcastrated.
(38:04):
Monks at Canterbury, benedictof Peterborough and William of
Canterbury were tasked withrecording these accounts,
eventually compiling over 700purported miracles attributed to
Beckett's intercession within adecade of his death.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
This explosion of popular devotion and reported
miracles put immense pressure onthe papacy.
Pope Alexander III, who hadtrod carefully during Beckett's
exile, acted decisively afterhis death, recognizing the
political and religioussignificance of martyrdom he
spurred by overwhelming publicveneration, alexander canonized
(38:42):
Thomas Beckett, officiallydeclaring him a saint, on
February 21, 1173, just over twoyears after the murder.
This was an exceptionally rapidcanonization for the period.
The swift action servedmultiple purposes it honored a
figure seen as dying for churchrights, it condemned King
Henry's perceived role in themurder and it reasserted papal
(39:05):
authority.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
And what of King Henry II?
He was reportedly devastatedand horrified when he learned of
the murder.
Perhaps realizing theimplications of his angry words,
he faced internal condemnationand the threat of papal
sanctions.
The four knights wereexcommunicated by the Pope and
eventually sent to the Holy Landas penance.
(39:27):
Some records suggest that theKnight Richard de Brittain, as
well as the priest Hugh deHorcet, may have actually later
committed suicides by the swordsthey had used on Beckett, but
it's likely that such a storywas added on later to bolster
the image of Thomas Beckett as amartyr and a saint by 1173 or
(39:48):
1174, henry's reign was incrisis.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
His wife, eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons,
including the young King Henry,were in open rebellion against
him, supported by rivals likethe King of France and the King
of Scotland who invaded fromnorthern England.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
It seems as if the younger Henry was unhappy that,
despite the title of junior king, in practice he made no real
decisions and his father kepthim chronically short of money.
Eleanor and King Henry'smarriage had been a series of
battles from the very beginning,with Eleanor trying to control
her husband and Henry resisting,often by engaging in
(40:27):
extramarital affairs.
By engaging in extramaritalaffairs, Some historians have
even suggested that Eleanor wasthe one who instigated the
revolt and encouraged her sonsto rise up against their father.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Regardless of who started it.
To many, perhaps includingHenry himself, this confluence
of disasters seemed like divineretribution for Beckett's death.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Recognizing the political and perhaps spiritual
necessity, King Henry undertooka dramatic act of public penance
in July of 1174.
Arriving near Canterbury, hedismounted and walked the final
miles into the city barefoot,dressed humbly as a pilgrim,
possibly in sackcloth.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Reaching the cathedral, he went straight to
Becket's tomb.
In the crypt there, before thetomb of his former
friend-turned-adversary, theKing of England knelt, confessed
his sins and submitted himselfto be scourged, whipped by the
assembled bishops and monks,receiving possibly hundreds of
lashes.
He then spent the entire nightin prayer and vigil at the tomb.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
This extraordinary display of royal humility and
contrition was a masterful pieceof political theater, but
perhaps also held genuinefeelings for Henry.
Its effect was immediate andprofound.
The very next day, news arrivedthat William the Lion, the King
of Scotland, had been captured.
Next day, news arrived thatWilliam the Lion, the King of
(41:53):
Scotland, had been captured,effectively ending the northern
invasion.
Shortly thereafter, therebellion of Henry's sons
collapsed and they sought hisforgiveness.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
It appeared to all that St Thomas Becket had
accepted the king's penance andthat divine favor was restored
to Henry's rule.
Henry himself seemed convinced,becoming a frequent pilgrim and
patron of the Beckett cultthereafter.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
The murder of Thomas Beckett.
His rapid sainthood and theking's dramatic penance left an
indelible mark on England andEurope.
What were the long-termconsequences of this historical
crime?
Speaker 1 (42:27):
In terms of the immediate power struggle between
the church and state, theoutcome was something of a
compromise, though arguably onethat favored the church's moral
standing.
King Henry II was forced toformally renounce the most
controversial clauses of theconstitutions of Clarendon as
part of his reconciliation withthe papacy.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
So Beckett and death achieved a victory for what he
had fought so fiercely forBeckett and death achieved a
victory for what he had foughtso fiercely for.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
In principle, yes, the church's right to judge its
own clergy and the ability toappeal to the pope were formally
acknowledged, strengthening thechurch's independence from
direct royal control in thesecrucial areas.
Henry remained a powerful king,but Beckett's martyrdom
undeniably bolstered thechurch's position and set limits
on the royal power that wouldresonate for centuries.
It demonstrated that even aformidable monarch could be
(43:17):
checked by the moral andpolitical force of the church,
especially embodied in a popularmartyr.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
And the impact of Canterbury itself was immense.
Beckett's death transformed thecathedral city.
Fueled by the accounts ofmiracles and the official
sanction of sainthood,Canterbury Cathedral, and
specifically Beckett's tomb inthe crypt, became one of the
foremost pilgrimage sites inChristendom.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Pilgrims came from all over England and Europe,
kings, nobles, commoners,seeking healing, forgiveness or
simply be near the relics of theholy martyr.
This influx brought enormousprestige and wealth to
Canterbury, funding therebuilding and expansion of the
cathedral, including themagnificent Trinity Chapel built
specifically to house Beckett'sshrine after his relics were
(44:06):
moved there in a grand ceremonyin 1220 were moved there in a
grand ceremony in 1220.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
It's this vibrant pilgrimage culture that forms
the backdrop for GeoffreyChaucer's famous work, the
Canterbury Tales, written in thelate 14th century, where
diverse characters journeytogether to Beckett's shrine.
The Beckett cult was deeplywoven into the fabric of English
life for nearly 400 years.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Until another King, henry.
King Henry VIII clashed withthe Catholic Church During the
English Reformation of 1538,.
Henry VIII ordered thedestruction of Becket's shrine,
the confiscation of itstreasures, and that Becket's
bones be burned and scattered.
He even decreed that Becketshould no longer be referred to
(44:52):
as a saint but as a traitor tohis king.
It was an attempt to erase thememory of a churchman who had
successfully defied a king.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
But the story endeared.
The murder of Thomas Beckettremains a potent historical
event.
It was a crime born of a clashof wills, a struggle for power
between secular and religiousauthority and the tragic
breakdown of a deep personalfriendship.
It highlights the immense powerof religious belief and
martyrdom in shaping medievalsocieties and politics.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Beckett himself remains a figure of debate.
Was he a principled defender ofthe faith and church liberty,
or a stubborn, ambitiousarchbishop who tragically
miscalculated?
Perhaps he was elements of both, but his violent death in
Canterbury Cathedral stands asone of history's most resonant
crimes, a moment where faith,power and personal animosity
(45:42):
collided with devastatingconsequences.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
The story of Thomas Beckett serves as a powerful
reminder of the complex andoften violent interplay between
religious authority and statepower throughout history.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Thanks for joining us on History's Greatest Crimes.
I'm Michael.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
And I'm Elena Until next time stay curious, thank
(46:20):
you.
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