Editing Thomas Becket (section)

==Primacy==
Becket was nominated as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, several months after the death of Theobald. His election was confirmed on 23 May 1162 by a royal council of bishops and noblemen.<ref name=ODNB/> Henry may have hoped that Becket would continue to put royal government first, rather than the church, but the famed transformation of Becket into an [[ascetic]] occurred at this time.<ref name=Huscroft192>Huscroft ''Ruling England'' pp. 192–195.</ref>

<gallery class="center" mode="packed" caption="Becket enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury from a [[Nottingham Alabaster]] in the [[Victoria & Albert Museum]]" heights="200px">
Image:StThomasEnthroned.jpg
Image:StThomasSens.jpg
</gallery>

Becket was ordained a priest on 2 June 1162 at Canterbury, and on 3 June 1162 was [[Consecration#Ordination of bishops|consecrated]] as archbishop by [[Henry of Blois]], the [[Bishop of Winchester]] and the other [[suffragan bishop]]s of Canterbury.<ref name=ODNB/>

A rift grew between Henry and Becket as the new archbishop resigned his [[chancellor]]ship and sought to recover and extend the rights of the [[archbishopric]]. This led to a series of conflicts with the King, including one over the jurisdiction of secular courts over English clergymen, which accelerated antipathy between Becket and the king. Attempts by Henry to influence other bishops against Becket began in [[Westminster Abbey|Westminster]] in October 1163, where the King sought approval of the traditional rights of royal government in regard to the church.<ref name=ODNB/> This led to the [[Constitutions of Clarendon]], where Becket was officially asked to agree to the King's rights or face political repercussions.