Saint Thomas Becket Window, Chartres Cathedral

What it is

This stained-glass window, made around 1215–1225 and funded by the tanners' guild, stands in the Confessors' Chapel of Chartres Cathedral in France. It tells the story of Thomas Becket's life, his exile in France, and his murder in Canterbury Cathedral.

Why it matters

Becket spent long periods of his exile in Chartres with his friend John of Salisbury, who later became bishop there. The window, made only about fifty years after Becket's death, shows how his memory as a defender of the Church against royal power resonated in France too, especially during contemporary disputes between French kings and the Church.

Why it matters

Look closer

• Why might the window give such a prominent place to Becket's exile in France rather than only his martyrdom?
• What might it mean that Becket is shown with a halo even in scenes before his death?
• How does showing a 'bad king' interfering with the Church connect to events happening in France when the window was made?