The Bayeux Tapestry returned to the United Kingdom for the first time in almost 1,000 years, arriving at the British Museum from France under the cover of darkness with a police escort on Thursday night. The 70-metre-long (229ft) linen embroidery, created around 960 years ago, depicts the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Transport and Security
The Metropolitan Police Service and Kent Police transported the 11th-century embroidery from Folkestone to London. The British Museum described this as “one of the most significant international museum loans ever undertaken between the two countries.” The tapestry was moved by a specialised transport company, Hizkia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture (General Directorate of Heritage and Architecture and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs of Normandy) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Official Reactions
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the British Museum, said: “This has been a monumental effort from colleagues at the British Museum and our partners in the UK and France. Watching the Tapestry arrive at the Museum is a moment I will never forget and I look forward to seeing the exhibition take shape over the coming weeks and welcoming the first visitors through our doors this September.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy added: “Make no mistake – this is an historic moment and a significant act of friendship as we welcome this iconic historical tapestry back to Britain for the first time in almost 1,000 years. This exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about this pivotal period in our national story and our shared heritage and friendship with France, which endures to the present day. I’m delighted to welcome this tapestry back onto British shores.”
Franco-British Friendship
French President Emmanuel Macron also commented on the loan, writing in The Times that it shows what the two countries “can achieve when they join forces.” He described the loan as a “tangible expression of long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together.” Macron added that the two nations recognise what sets each other apart, but also “their natural affinity and what they can achieve when they join forces.”
Exhibition Details
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, which saw William the Conqueror take the English throne from King Harold and become the first Norman king of England. The tapestry will go on show at the British Museum from September to July 2027. Around 7.5 million people are expected to see it in London. The British Museum said demand to see the “once-in-a-generation exhibition has already been unprecedented.” When general admission tickets went on sale last week, the museum recorded the single biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in sales in the first 24 hours.
Condition Checks and Installation
Over the coming weeks, the tapestry will undergo condition checks before being carefully installed within a custom showcase ahead of the exhibition opening. It has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux, Normandy, since 1983 and will return there when the museum reopens after renovation.
