Henry II and Thomas Becket, Part I: Friends

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Henry II and Thomas Becket. British Library. Royal 20 A II f. 7v ​

​Being King of England isn't an easy task, but Henry II was aided by his good friend Thomas Becket serving as Chancellor. Then, Henry saw an opportunity to place Thomas in the highest position of power in the English church. What could go wrong?

​Podcaster: Christine

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Further Reading

Frank Barlow, “Thomas Becket (1120?-1170)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, (2004). 

Thomas K. Keefe, “Henry II (1133–1189)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, (2004). 

David Knowles, Thomas Becket, Stanford University Press, (1971).

W.L. Warren, Henry II, University of California Press, (1973).


Related Content - Spoiler Alert: Reading any of these fictional works mentioned in the episode will tell you how it all ended! 

Jean Anouilh, Becket, Riverhead Press, (1995). - Originally performed on Broadway in 1960.

T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral, Harcourt, Brace and Company, (1935).

Sharon Kay Penman, Time and Chance, Putman, (2002).


​Music: "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin Macleod (www.incompetech.com)