Thomas Becket

7.3: Thomas Becket

From humble beginnings in Cheapside, London, Becket rose to the highest offices in England. He earned his success in part thanks to his own skill as an administrator; but, ultimately, he owed everything to the largesse of his sovereign, King Henry II. When Becket defied the will of his king, in order - as he saw it - to serve the will of God, he entered into a conflict that would cost him his life.