This essay focuses on the theological, social, and cultural contexts of the Royal Chapel at St. Germain-en-Laye. I pay particular attention to the rose window on the west wall, which was changed over time by the multiple renovations and redecorations by French monarchs as well as the “official restoration” in the 1880's. The restoration in the nineteenth century by Eugène Millet and his successors was not a strictly historical project but reflected the 1880's perception of the thirteenth-century style of architecture and decoration. This paper looks at both what we know now about how the Rayonnant style was originally used in the decoration of the chapel and how that compares to the perception of the Middle Ages that guided the restoration in the 1880's. There is also a review of the public and scholarly reactions to the restoration at the time of its completion.