Bayeux Tapestry to return to England for first time in more than 900 years

Leader Live

6 days ago

The tapestry will arrive in the UK at the British Museum next year on loan from France.
In return, the British Museum will loan the Sutton Hoo collection, the Lewis Chessmen and other items to France.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most iconic pieces of art ever produced in the UK and I am delighted that we will be able to welcome it here in 2026.
'This loan is a symbol of our shared history with our friends in France, a relationship built over centuries and one that continues to endure.
'The British Museum is one of the world's most visited museums and is a fitting place to host this most treasured piece of our nation's history.'
The 70-metre-long work, which is more than 900-years-old, depicts the battle which saw William The Conqueror take the English throne from Harold Godwinson and become the first Norman king of England.
It is widely accepted to have been made in England during the 11th century and was likely to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo Of Bayeux. It has been on display in various locations across France during its history, including most recently at the Bayeux Museum in Normandy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the exchanges of 'extraordinary national treasures' would be officially announced at the British Museum on Wednesday.
'The times of William the Conqueror are over – happily,' he said in an address to UK parliamentarians.
'I think these mutual loans of these extraordinary national treasures will involve fascinating human exchanges, which will certainly be positive for our future in terms of culture,' Mr Macron said.
Director of the British Museum Nicholas Cullinan said: 'The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important and unique cultural artefacts in the world, which illustrates the deep ties between Britain and France and has fascinated people across geographies and generations.
'It is hard to overstate the significance of this extraordinary opportunity of displaying it at the British Museum and we are profoundly grateful to everyone involved.
'This will be the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has been in the UK since it was made, almost 1,000-years-ago.
'We are also delighted to send the Lewis Chessmen, and some of our treasures from Sutton Hoo – the greatest archaeological discovery in Britain – to France in return.
'This is exactly the kind of international partnership that I want us to champion and take part in, sharing the best of our collection as widely as possible, and in return displaying global treasures never seen here before.'
The Sutton Hoo treasures, discovered as part of a seventh century Anglo-Saxon ship burial in Suffolk in 1939, provide insight into England during the period before the Norman Conquest.
Museums in Normandy will host the Sutton Hoo treasures while they are in France.
Further details of the exhibition will be announced by the British Museum in due course, with the loan set to form part of a season of culture in 2027 celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William The Conqueror, and the Grand Depart of the 2027 Tour de France from the UK.
The tapestry will be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum between September 2026 and July 2027.