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How did St. Anselm of Canterbury become involved in the Investiture Controversy?

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Luca della Robbia: St. Anselm of Canterbury — St. Anselm of Canterbury St. Anselm of Canterbury (center), terra-cotta altarpiece by Luca della Robbia; in the Museo Diocesano, Empoli, Italy.

St. Anselm of Canterbury became a central figure in the Investiture Controversy due to his staunch defense of ecclesiastical independence against royal interference in church appointments.1

The conflict began after Anselm was named archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. Tensions escalated when King William II demanded money from him, which Anselm refused to pay to avoid the appearance of simony. Subsequently, the king blocked Anselm from traveling to Rome to receive the pallium from Pope Urban II, fearing it would imply royal recognition of the pope. Anselm maintained that the king had no right to intervene in spiritual matters, asserting that ecclesiastical authority should not be derived from the monarch.1

The dispute continued under King Henry I, who insisted on his right to invest clergy with the symbols of their office. This led to Anselm's exile until a compromise was reached at the Synod of Westminster in 1107, where the king renounced the right to invest bishops with the ring and crosier.2