Cast:
King Henry II
Henry the Young King (junior king, no roman numerals for 'im.)
Thomas a Becket, born 1118. Cheapside, London. Fast-tracked.
Soon after his coronation, 14th June 1170, Henry the Young King was excommunicated by #ThomasABecket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Going back to ~1139, Thomas started as an accountant, impressed many, went to Europe and became a cleric, impressed more, made archdeacon of Canterbury in 1154.
And then months later #ChancellorOfEngland
Tom moved fast and broke things. Worked very well centralising power to Henry II by razing castles and raising armies. Disempowered the Church. And become a friend of the king.
Henry II wanted more power over the church and promoted his man Tom to the top of the country's church-positions, the #ArchbishopOfCanterbury in 1162.
Upon getting that powerful position Tom flipped and went full-on "Power To The Church".
Henry II was unhappy. Probably felt a little betrayed. Social hostilities, Tom running for the border and land seizures followed.
But geopolitics had Henry II allow Tom to return.
Tom continued to oppose Henry II's attempts to centralise power.
And then Tom, Archbishop of Cantebury, and the established ranking in the Church were slapped hard when Henry the Young King was corronated by the York Archbishop.
So Tom excommunicates the Young King.
Henry II, the dad, hears of this while off warring in Normandy and is pissed:
"What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"
Shortly after that four of Henry's knights travel to Canterbury Cathederal and spread Tom's brains on the floor.
AIUI the Church quickly turns Tom into a martyr.
Pilgimages to Canterbury Cathedral boom.
Did having Tom as a martyr make the King , as instigator, an unholy abuser, at least until he's forgiven? Did this weigh against the #DivineRightOfKings.
And you get one guess on whose shrine the pilgrims in #Chaucer's #CanterburyTales (1400) are headed to.
Currently considering how better to read/listen to those tales. Doesn't appear to be any obvious choice.
There may be some parallels between the that tale of #ThomasABecket and today's USA.
#HenryII #UnitaryExecutive #DOGE #StochiasticMurder #ElonMusk #NoKings #DonaldTrump
skua