London and Canterbury, 1023 ADThe removal of the Danish influence in court and the banishment of Thorkell was not a policy conducted for the benefit of Queen Emma. Never one to miss an opportunity, she decided to turn the heightened feelings against the Danes apparent in London to her advantage. Together with Harthacnut"s support, she concentrated on the focal point of this sentiment – the tomb of Aelfheah, the elderly archbishop martyred by the Danes in 1012. In the Cathedral of Saint Paul, pilgrims gathered to pray before his earthly remains and express their resentment of those who had smitten him and laid waste Canterbury Cathedral. Emma spent weeks nagging Knut to do something about the situation, transforming herself into a doomsayer, predicting calamity should the King ignore her pl
