Thomas Becket's bones translated at Canterbury

1212

Archbishop Stephen Langton presided over the solemn translation of Becket's relics to a new shrine in Canterbury Cathedral's Trinity Chapel. The ceremony, attended by thousands, cemented Canterbury as England's chief pilgrimage site until Henry VIII smashed the shrine. The gold and jewel-encrusted tomb drew pilgrims from across Europe, their offerings making the cathedral one of the wealthiest foundations in Christendom.