Early in his reign Henry called a great meeting at the hunting lodge of the Norman kings in Clarendon near Salisbury. The attendance was from throughout England and even as widespread as the continent, this was a group of high-profile clerics and nobles that Henry gathered to attempt to control the growing power of the church. It was, of course, the great battle with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Had Henry never elevated Becket from chancellor to Archbishop he might have had in Becket a long lasting and loyal asset. Henry’s relationship with Ranulf would have no such dangers.