Henry II & Thomas Becket: A Doomed Friendship

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2024

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's 1163; Thomas Becket has cast off the shackles of his working class roots to become King Henry II's right-hand man. He is appointed to the highest position in the land next to the Crown; Archbishop of Canterbury. But Church and state are at loggerheads, with Henry and Thomas at the centre of the storm.

Across four special episodes, Gone Medieval is charting Becket's meteoric rise, his disastrous fall leading to his murder and the spectacular consequences which spawned a world famous legacy.

This is part two; Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Paul Webster to analyse the personal relationship between a king and an archbishop. Why did Henry and Becket willingly choose to sacrifice their trusted friendship on the altar of medieval power politics? How did Henry and Becket, once the staunchest of allies, become bitter and bickering rivals? Was Becket's murder inevitable?

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Ella Blaxill, the producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The famous five are away on a splendid weekend adventure.
0:03.5	Do we have to go home today?
0:05.5	sighed Anne.
0:06.5	I agree said Dick.
0:08.0	Even Timmy looks sad.
0:09.5	Cheer up everyone.
0:11.5	Beams Julian, I booked long weekend tickets we can return anytime on Monday
0:17.0	Oh you are clever Julian said Anne save over 50% with the long weekend a ticket from Great Western Railway.
0:24.4	Adventures start here. Selected routes turn supply.
0:27.6	Saving in comparison to an anytime return fare.
0:30.0	This episode is sponsored by Penguin Audio.
0:36.0	In his fabulous book Unruly, David Mitchell takes a hilarious look at the history of England's monarchy from the kingdom's foundation
0:45.9	after Rome went home to the end of Gloriana with Elizabeth the first's passing in 1603. You might have heard David joined Dan Snow on his
0:56.5	podcast to talk about the book. If you haven't, it's worth looking the
1:00.5	episode out, not least as a taster of what you can expect from the audiobook, which is available right now. David is a passionate historian, an expert who firmly lashes the humour to the history,
1:14.0	and he brings his signature dry wit
1:16.4	to the audio book, which he narrates himself.
1:19.8	Who was King Arthur,
1:21.8	or rather just was King Arthur. Would David be in the home or away stands at the Battle of Hastings? Did
1:30.7	Richard the third really? Never mind.
1:34.0	The audiobook of Unruly by David Mitchell
1:37.0	is available now from Audible or with Spotify Premium.
	...

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