French President Emmanuel Macron has described the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum as a “tangible expression of long-standing friendship” and an opportunity to “write the next chapter” in Franco-British relations. Around 7.5 million people are expected to view the medieval embroidery when it goes on display in London from September 2025 to July 2027.
Macron hails partnership
Writing in The Times, Mr Macron said the loan was 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”. He emphasised that the two nations recognise what sets each other apart, but also “their natural affinity and what they can achieve when they join forces”.
“This is what our partnership must continue to embody,” he wrote. “The UK is a strategic partner, ally and friend of France. Faced with the major challenges of our time – the security of our continent, technological sovereignty, innovation, energy and decarbonisation, and the resilience of our democracies – we have chosen to act together.”
Unfinished story
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. Mr Macron noted that the tapestry is “an unfinished story. Its conclusion eludes us; its final scene does not bring the story to a close. Perhaps that is where its most contemporary strength lies. It is our job to write the next chapter, in a spirit of respect, trust and renewed alliance.”
The tapestry has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux, Normandy since 1983. It will return there after the London exhibition when the museum reopens following renovation.
