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What role did Henry II’s angry words play in Thomas Becket’s murder?

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King Henry II and St. Thomas Becket — Henry II Henry II (left) disputing with Thomas Becket (center), miniature from a 14th-century manuscript; in the British Library (Cotton MS. Claudius D.ii).

The murder of Thomas Becket was directly precipitated by Henry II’s volatile reaction to news of the archbishop’s continued defiance.12

After returning to England in 1170, Becket further infuriated the king by excommunicating clergy who had participated in the coronation of Henry’s son, an act that violated the traditional rights of Canterbury. Upon hearing this news while in Normandy, an enraged Henry uttered fateful, violent words expressing his frustration with the archbishop.123

These remarks were taken literally by four of the king’s knights, who interpreted them as a royal mandate. The knights traveled swiftly to England, confronted Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, and murdered him after he refused to absolve the excommunicated bishops. While Henry later repudiated responsibility for the act and performed public penance, his outburst served as the immediate catalyst for the knights' actions.314