To this day, there is still much speculation surrounding King Henry’s outburst about “this meddlesome priest.”
Becket was revered by the people of England as a martyr immediately following his murder. In a very short time, miraculous cures began to be reported at his tomb. He was canonized in February 1173. In July 1174, King Henry traveled to St. Dunstan’s church, not far from Canterbury, where he removed his regal attire and donned sackcloth. He then began a pilgrimage on foot to humble himself with public penance at Becket’s tomb in the cathedral. It is reported he stripped to the waist and allowed two monks to scourge him. Artists’ depictions of the event show him still wearing a crown during the public flogging.
While the conflict between Henry and Becket may be difficult for us to comprehend, we must remember the Church controlled every aspect of people’s lives, and kings considered themselves rulers by divine right. The struggle for absolute supremacy between the temporal and the spiritual was not a new one.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral is often described as ‘England in stone’ as its history is intrinsically linked to the country’s history. From its first Archbishop, Augustine, who established Christianity in England to Archbishop Langton’s role in the Magna Carta negotiations and the power struggle between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral’s history is as rich as it comes.
Becket's martyrdom benefited Canterbury Cathedral. The old edifice described in this story was severely damaged by fire in September 1174, and it was the growing popularity of Becket's shrine as a place of pilgrimage that paid for the reconstruction. Much of the magnificent cathedral we see today was built on the proceeds of gifts and the sale of "official souvenirs" at the shrine during the next few hundred years. Canterbury became one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in western Christendom.
YOUNG KING HENRY
A contemporary wrote of him: the best king who ever took up a shield, the most daring and best of all tourneyers. From the time when Roland was alive, and even before, never was seen a knight so skilled, so warlike, whose fame resounded so around the world – even if Roland did come back, or if the world were searched as far as the River Nile and the setting sun.
Henry and Margaret of France were married when he was five and she two years of age.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Young_King
Unfortunately, the predictions about King Henry’s greedy sons came to fruition. In 1174 Henry, Richard and Geoffrey led an unsuccessful rebellion against their father. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, also rebelled against her husband in the previous year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England#Family_tensions
Ironically, Prince Henry died (of dysentery) in 1183, six years before his father. The crown then passed to his brother, Richard (the Lionhearted).
ALL SHALL BE WELL
My regular readers will probably recognize this as one of my favorite mantras. However, it is attributed to Julian of Norwich who lived hundreds of years after these events. I couldn’t resist. Mea culpa.
About Anna
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I was born and educated in England, but I’ve lived most of my life in Canada. I was an elementary school teacher for 25 years, a job I loved.
After that I worked with my husband in the management of his businesses. He’s a born entrepreneur who likes to boast he’s never had a job!
My final “career” was as Director of Administration of a global disaster relief organization.
I then embarked on writing a romance, something I’d always wanted to do. I chose the medieval period because it’s my favorite to read.
I have a keen interest in genealogy. This hobby has had a tremendous influence on my stories. My medieval romances are tales of family honor, ancestry, and roots. As an amateur genealogist, I cherished a dream of tracing my own English roots back to the Norman Conquest—most likely impossible since I am not descended from nobility! So I made up a family and my stories follow its members through successive generations.
I am a firm believer in love at first sight. My heroes and heroines may initially deny the attraction between them, but eventually the alchemy wins out. I want readers to rejoice when the power of love overcomes every obstacle and lovers find their soul mates. For me, novels are an experience of another world and time. I lose myself in the characters’ lives, always knowing they will triumph in the end and find love. One of the things I enjoy most about writing historical romance is the in-depth research necessary to provide readers with an authentic medieval experience. I love ferreting out bits of historical trivia and including them in my stories.
I hope you come to know and love my cast of characters as much as I do.
Escape with me to where romance began and get intimate with history.
I’d like to acknowledge the assistance of my critique group partners, Reggi Allder, Jacquie Biggar, LizAnn Carson, and Sylvie Grayson, and the invaluable contributions of beta readers, Maria McIntyre & Sharon Adam.
Finale (The Montbryce Legacy Anniversary Edition Book 12) Page 14