Anselm of Canterbury was one of the most influential churchmen and theologians of the late 11th and early 12th centuries, whose archiepiscopate was shaped by repeated conflict with royal authority over the independence of the Church. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, Anselm soon found himself at odds with King William II of England ⓘ (William Rufus), particularly over the appointment of bishops, the demand that Anselm perform homage to the king, and royal interference in ecclesiastical affairs.

On 8 November 1097, Anselm left England, sailing from Dover to Wissant in Flanders, accompanied by the monks Eadmer and Baldwin of Tournai. William II had warned that Anselm’s departure without royal permission would be treated as a forfeiture of his office, yet Anselm chose exile rather than submission. He travelled to Italy to seek guidance from Pope Urban II, ⓘ aligning himself firmly with the papal position during the Investiture Controversy.

During this first exile, Anselm remained in close contact with the reforming papacy and took part in the Council of Bari (1098), where he contributed to theological debate on the procession of the Holy Spirit, reinforcing his reputation as both a church statesman and a leading intellectual figure. He remained abroad until the death of William II in 1100.

Under William’s successor, Henry I, Anselm was invited to return to England. Although his relationship with Henry initially appeared more conciliatory, disputes soon re-emerged over lay investiture and the limits of royal authority. These tensions eventually led to a second exile (1103–1106), resolved only by compromise, reflecting the broader European struggle between crown and papacy.

Anselm spent his final years in England, continuing his theological work and ecclesiastical reforms until his death in 1109. Canonised in 1494 and later declared a Doctor of the Church, he became a lasting symbol of resistance to secular domination of the Church and a key English figure within the wider Gregorian reform movement.