Henry II's Horrified Reaction To The Death of Thomas Becket

 

One cold night in January 1171, King Henry II of England could be found residing in Normandy, at Argentan. The king would have had a lot on his mind. His relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket had, once again, turned sour after a period where it looked like things had been improving. Henry, famously, had been driven into a furious rage against the Archbishop, demanding loudly that he wished to be rid of this stubborn and headstrong priest. 4 knights had overheard the king’s outburst and took it literally. After feeble attempts to negotiate with Becket, the knights struck the Archbishop down in cold blood on the night of 29th December 1170. After ransacking the cathedral, the four murderers fled. Their judgement would come. In the days that followed this horrific crime, Henry’s rage would have cooled. After all, at this point, Henry would have still been ignorant of what had happened. He was a king who had a furious and, at times, a bizarre temper. On one occasion, he had become so enraged that he threw himself to the floor and started chewing hay. It’s probable that he thought nobody would be stupid enough to put such value on his words, obviously spoken in anger and without real meaning, that they would actually harm Becket.

 

Whatever the king’s mood on that January night at Argentan was, it was about to take a serious turn for the worse. A group of men arrived to speak with the king. They came bearing the terrible news of Becket’s demise. According to Ralph of Diceto, as soon as the messengers started talking, the king, almost as though he had been expecting such news, began to despair. Henry cried out to God that he had never wished for the murder to happen and he fell into a state of deep sorrow and misery. Undoubtedly, Henry certainly didn’t want Becket dead. Thomas had, at one time, been his good friend. But there was also probably a hint of self pity in his wailings. Henry knew that this was a political disaster from which he may never recover. For him, it was now a matter of damage limitation. In a immediate show of remorse, Henry removed his royal robes and, in the manner of Becket himself, adopted a sackcloth shirt. He then sent envoys to the Pope, pleading his innocence.

But, predictably, the envoys did not receive a warm welcome in Rome. Pope Alexander III was still, understandably, furious at the murder of a man of God. The envoys tried to arrange a meeting with Alexander but the Pope initially refused to have anything to do with them. They tried again and, on this second occasion, some cardinals were sent to speak with them but little action was taken. Eventually, after a period of confusion, two of the envoys, an abbot named Robert and a archdeacon, also named Robert, who seemed to have been more trusted then the rest of the diplomatic party, were granted a hearing with Alexander. This first meeting bore little fruit when, as soon as the envoys began to plead Henry’s case, the cardinals began to jeer and heckle them. The two Roberts were forced to leave and return, later that day, to speak to Alexander in more subdued surroundings. It was made plain to the Pope that the fractious relationship between Henry and Becket was not only the fault of the king. Henry, after all, wanted to rid the English church of corruption which, under Becket’s watch, was as bad as ever. This meeting turned hostile when the envoys were confronted by two of Becket’s clerks. Matters between the King of England and the Pope were extremely tense and the threat of excommunication hung over Henry’s head.

While these awkward negotiations with the Pope were ongoing, Henry, still feeling the heat, decided to go on campaign to Ireland where he landed in October 1171. Things went smoothly for the king in Ireland but, elsewhere, more trouble was brewing. Henry II’s son and heir, Henry The Young King, was beginning to fall in with the wrong crowd who were encouraging him to rebel against his father. The murder of Becket had begun a chain of events that would dominate the rest of Henry’s reign.

 Whilst the Young King’s resentment against his father simmered, Henry, in 1172, began to finally make amends with the church. In late September of that year, at Averenches in Normandy, Henry swore, in front of the clergy and public, that he had never intended for Becket’s death. He then made a series of vows. These vows included a promise to go on pilgrimage (or crusade) to Jerusalem. If he was unable to do so, then Henry would support the Christian cause in the Reconquest of Spain, or Reconquista. Unfortunately for Henry, matters closer to home would prevent him from doing so. Henry The Young King, aided by his mother Eleanor, his brothers and the king of France, began his revolt soon after his father had made these promises. At the very least, Henry was able to make generous donations to the Knights Templar meaning he at least did support the Crusade in some capacity.

Before he obtained absolution for his greatest sin, Henry also had to forgive  those who had aided Becket and who had joined him in exile in France. These men, both clergy and laymen alike, were allowed to return to England in peace. Henry also promised to restore any valuables that had been looted from Canterbury, of which there were a large amount, by the murderers of Becket. Henry was eventually absolved but still the spectre of Becket lingered. In 1173, Becket was canonised by Alexander III and, with the revolt of his sons, it’s likely that Henry still thought he was being punished by God. So, in July 1174, he made another, very public, act of penance. 

Riding to Canterbury, Henry, on approaching the city, lept off his horse and walked to the cathedral barefoot. With tears falling, Henry made his way to Becket’s tomb where he fell to his knees. He remained there, for a long time, in silent prayer. When he rose to his feet, Henry, again, protested his innocence. He then stripped away his garments and stood bare chested, ordering the monks to flog him. Three to five blows were given from each monk, of which there was quite a crowd assembled. After receiving his punishment, Henry, dressing himself, alloted £40 of rent to be given to the Cathedral, annually, so candles could be lit around Becket’s tomb. The king would spend the rest of the day, praying, weeping and enduring a restless sleep. 

Henry II’s reign, until 1170, had been a promising one. He was a remarkably energetic man who ruled his vast lands enthusiastically. However, the souring of relations with Becket had ultimately brought about his downfall. It can be argued that it wasn’t really Henry’s fault. Since the days of King Stephen, the English church had become rife with corruption and Henry had been determined to put a stop to that. Once Becket had become Archbishop of Canterbury, that task was made significantly more challenging. Henry’s outburst in December 1170 had come after 8 years of arguments with his Archbishop. Although he could be a bad tempered man at the best of times, I don’t think Henry should be condemned too harshly. It was a combination of the King speaking carelessly, Becket’s inflexibility and the actions of 4 knights desperate to please the king which had brough about one of history’s most famous murders.