The British Museum will host a major exhibition looking at the life – and infamous death – of medieval Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, later this year.
A 14th century depiction of Thomas Becket (centre) with King Henry II (left), the man many see as responsible for his death.
The exhibition, which will run from October to February, 2021, will mark the 850th anniversary of the Archbishop’s death on 29th December, 1170, when he was assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by knights with close ties to the then-monarch and former close friend of Becket, King Henry II.
According to the museum, the display will follow his journey from merchant’s son to archbishop and look at the contrasting views of Becket, from a revered saint who was the subject of pilgrimages, to a man seen as a “traitor” in the eyes of later monarchs like King Henry VIII.
The exhibition is expected to include manuscripts, jewellery, sculpture and reliquaries all associated with Becket drawn from both the museum’s collection and other collections in the UK and around the world.
