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Why did Thomas Becket become a major pilgrimage figure after his death?

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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).

Thomas Becket became a major pilgrimage figure primarily due to his martyrdom in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. Following a bitter dispute with King Henry II regarding the rights and privileges of the Roman Catholic Church, Becket was killed by four knights who interpreted the king's angry words as a command.1234

His death was viewed as a heroic defense of the church against a tyrant, leading to his canonization by Pope Alexander III in 1173. Within days of the murder, his tomb became a site of intense pilgrimage, attracting both English and foreign visitors. This influx of pilgrims significantly increased the prestige and wealth of the cathedral. For nearly four centuries, Becket’s shrine remained one of the most famous in Europe, famously serving as the destination for the travelers in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.234