 Æthelnoth became a monk at Glastonbury , then was made dean of the monastery of Christ Church Priory , at Canterbury , the cathedral chapter for the diocese of Canterbury . He was also a chaplain to King Cnut of England and Denmark as well as Dean of Canterbury when on 13 November 1020 Æthelnoth was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury . Æthelnoth 's elevation probably was a gesture of appeasement , as Æthelnoth 's brother Æthelweard had been executed in 1017 by Cnut , who also banished a brother @-@ in @-@ law named Æthelweard in 1020 . A later story stated that Cnut favoured Æthelnoth because Æthelnoth had bestowed chrism on the king . This may be a garbled account of Æthelnoth 's participation in Cnut 's confirmation as a Christian in 1016 or his coronation in 1017 . There are some indications that he was a student of Ælfric of Eynsham , the homilist . 
