Service marks anniversary of saint's martyrdom

A service will be held in Canterbury Cathedral to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of one of England's most famous saints.

Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered as he conducted a service in the cathedral on 29 December 1170.

The four knights who attacked him believed they were acting on the orders of King Henry II.

The service, at 17:30 GMT, will be live streamed on the cathedral's website.

The King and the Archbishop's relationship had started well, said cathedral archivist Cressida Williams, with Becket being made chancellor.

"He was a very good administrator, they were very much friends while Becket was chancellor" she said.

He became Archbishop on the death of his predecessor Theobald.

"Becket did take the office very seriously" said Ms Williams, "and did change and become more reflective and pious.

"Henry just doesn't seem to have accepted the fact that Becket would no longer accept what he said, that Becket was standing up against the King.

"We don't know exactly what he said to the group of knights but into legend has come this idea that he said 'who will rid me of this priest'."

Following his martyrdom Becket was made a saint in 1173, with Henry II paying public penance in Canterbury the following year.

Ms Williams said the cathedral quickly became a place of pilgrimage.

"Pilgrims started to come here in order to seek healing, to visit the places in the cathedral associated with Becket's murder.

"The Becket story can really still speak to us today, it speaks of standing up for what we feel is right, standing up against power which we feel is unjust and, in Becket's case, making a huge sacrifice for what we believe in."

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