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How did King Aethelberht of Kent support Augustine of Canterbury’s mission?

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St. Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I (the Great) depicted in a stained glass window at St. Michael & All Angels Church in Brinkworth, Wiltshire, England.

King Aethelberht of Kent provided crucial support to Augustine of Canterbury’s mission, which was initiated by Pope Gregory I the Great in 597. His reception of the missionaries was likely influenced by his marriage to Bertha, a Christian princess from Paris.1

Aethelberht’s support included several key actions:

Provision of Resources: He granted the missionaries a dwelling place in Canterbury and allowed them to use the old St. Martin’s Church for preaching.21
Religious Tolerance: While he eventually converted to Christianity himself, he notably did not force the religion upon his subjects.21
Legal Recognition: Aethelberht issued the first extant code of Anglo-Saxon laws, which established the legal position of the clergy and integrated the church into the social and political fabric of his kingdom.1

With this royal backing, Augustine was able to baptize thousands of subjects and establish Canterbury as the primatial see of England.2