Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in London Ahead of British Museum Exhibition
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LONDON, July 11, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived in Britain for the first time in nearly 1,000 years ahead of a sold-out exhibition at the British Museum, following a carefully coordinated journey from France under police escort.
The 70-metre (230-foot) medieval embroidery, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, was transported in an air-conditioned, anti-vibration crate to the Eurotunnel under the protection of French police.
British authorities assumed responsibility for the final stage of the journey to London after the tapestry crossed the Channel.
The French government said the transfer required “unprecedented logistical and security means” developed by France and Britain over more than a year.
Nearly £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in tickets have already been sold, making the exhibition the best-selling in the British Museum’s history.
France confirmed the loan in July last year during President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain as a guest of King Charles. The gesture has been presented as a symbol of closer bilateral relations following tensions associated with Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
“This … is a gesture of trust, a tangible expression of a long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together,” Macron wrote in The Times.
The tapestry is believed to have been created by English embroiderers in the years after William the Conqueror and his Norman army seized the English throne.
“Make no mistake — this is an historic moment and a significant act of friendship as we welcome this iconic historical tapestry back to Britain,” British Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said in a statement released by the museum.
“Watching the Tapestry arrive at the Museum is a moment I will never forget,” British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan said.
The tapestry will undergo condition assessments before being installed in a purpose-built display case. The exhibition is scheduled to open on September 10.
