Editing Canterbury Cathedral (section)

==== Trinity Chapel and Shrine of Thomas Becket ====
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral Trinity Chapel Stained Glass, Kent, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|Stained glass in the Trinity Chapel]]
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral Becket's Crown, Kent, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|'Becket's crown' chapel at the far east end of the cathedral]]
In 1180–1184, in place of the old, square-ended, eastern chapel, the present Trinity Chapel was constructed, a broad extension with an ambulatory, designed to house the shrine of St Thomas Becket.{{sfn|Cook|1949|pp=22–23}} A further chapel, circular in plan, was added beyond that, which housed further relics of Becket,{{sfn|Cook|1949|pp=22–23}} widely believed to have included the top of his skull, struck off in the course of his assassination. This latter chapel became known as the "Corona" or "Becket's Crown".{{sfn|Withers|1897|p=88–89}} These new parts east of the quire transepts were raised on a higher crypt than Ernulf's quire, necessitating flights of steps between the two levels. Work on the chapel was completed in 1184,{{sfn|Cook|1949|pp=22–23}} but Becket's remains were not moved from his tomb in the crypt until 1220.{{sfn|Withers|1897|p=8}} Further significant interments in the Trinity Chapel included those of Edward Plantagenet (The "[[Edward, the Black Prince|Black Prince]]") and King [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]].

The shrine in the Trinity Chapel was placed directly above Becket's original tomb in the crypt. A marble plinth, raised on columns, supported what an early visitor, [[Walter of Coventry]], described as "a coffin wonderfully wrought of gold and silver, and marvellously adorned with precious gems".{{sfn|Blick|2005|pp=407–408}} Other accounts make clear that the gold was laid over a wooden chest, which in turn contained an iron-bound box holding Becket's remains.{{sfn|Blick|2005|p=408}} Further [[votive offering|votive treasures]] were added to the adornments of the chest over the years, while others were placed on pedestals or beams nearby, or attached to hanging drapery.{{sfn|Blick|2005|p=424}} For much of the time, the chest (or "[[feretory]]") was kept concealed by a wooden cover, which would be theatrically raised by ropes once a crowd of pilgrims had gathered.{{sfn|Withers|1897|p=8}}{{sfn|Blick|2005|p=408}} The Dutch humanist [[Desiderius Erasmus]], who visited in 1512–1514, recorded that, once the cover was raised, "the Prior ... pointed out each jewel, telling its name in French, its value, and the name of its donor; for the principal of them were offerings sent by sovereign princes."{{sfn|Blick|2005|p=425}}

The income from [[pilgrim]]s (such as those portrayed in [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s ''[[Canterbury Tales]]'') who visited Becket's shrine, which was regarded as a place of healing, largely paid for the subsequent rebuilding of the cathedral and its associated buildings. This revenue included the profits from the sale of [[pilgrim badge]]s depicting Becket, his martyrdom, or his shrine.

The shrine was removed in 1538. King Henry VIII allegedly summoned the dead saint to court to face charges of treason. Having failed to appear, he was found guilty in his absence and the treasures of his shrine were confiscated, carried away in two coffers and 26 carts.{{sfn|Withers|1897|p=13}}