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Why did Thomas Becket resign as chancellor after becoming archbishop?

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St. Thomas Becket Murder of St. Thomas Becket, illustration from an English psalter, c. 1200; in the British Library.

Upon becoming archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket resigned as chancellor because he underwent a profound personal transformation, embracing the spiritual obligations of his new office that he had previously neglected.1

After his consecration, Becket abandoned his former lifestyle of luxury and secular service to the monarchy, instead adopting an austere, devout life and committing himself to the integral program of the papacy and canon law. This shift in priorities led him to immediately resign the chancellorship, a move that greatly displeased King Henry II, who had intended for Becket to continue serving his administrative and political agenda.1