Today in History: Thomas Beckett Was Assassinated

On this day (December 29) in 1170 Thomas Beckett was assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral. Beckett and Henry II had only just resolved their differences over the Constitutions of Clarendon which Beckett claimed to have agreed with in substance but refused to sign. Returning to Canterbury, Beckett became enraged when he learned that the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Salisbury had crowned Henry II’s heir, Henry the Young King, violating Canterbury’s Privilege of Coronation. He excommunicated the three bishops and then began excommunicating others of his enemies. Upon hearing of his new troubles with Beckett, Henry is supposed to have thrown up his hands and exclaimed: “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” Four of his knights interpreted this as a royal command, journeyed to Canterbury and murdered Beckett in his cathedral.

Beckett had not been particularly popular in life even with his fellow churchmen, but in martyrdom he became a symbol of the independent church. Henry II almost certainly did not want him murdered. He was too intelligent and capable of a politician to think that murdering an archbishop could help his cause. But he was saddled with the blame for the crime and did penance for it before brilliantly turning Beckett into a posthumous saintly supporter and patron of his house during a rebellion against him in 1174.