In a historic loan deal, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer will bring the Bayeux tapestry back to the UK for the first time in over 900 years. The 70-meter-long piece of embroidered fabric portrays the Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings in 1066, where William the Conqueror succeeded Harold Godwinson as the first Norman monarch of England.
In return for the Lewis chessmen and other Anglo-Saxon artefacts from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, it will be on exhibit at the British Museum starting in September of the following year.
During the French President’s state visit on Wednesday, the loan will be formally revealed at the British Museum, which has been closed to the public for the day.
London’s tourism industry is also anticipated to benefit from a huge display that provides the opportunity to view the tapestry up close for the first time since it was created in the United Kingdom.
It is generally agreed that the 58-scene Bayeux Tapestry was created in England in the eleventh century, most likely on a commission from Bishop Odo of Bayeux.
The tapestry’s survival over nine centuries was described as “little short of miraculous” by conservator Sylvette Lemagnen in her 2005 book La Tapisserie de Bayeux.
“Its exceptional length, the harmony and freshness of its colours, its exquisite workmanship, and the genius of its guiding spirit combine to make it endlessly fascinating,” she said.
Throughout its existence, the tapestry has been displayed in several French sites, most recently at the Musée de Bayeux. From September 2026 until July 2027, visitors will be able to see it in the British Museum’s Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery.
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,” according to Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum.
He added: “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 1000 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.”
The loan will be a part of a bilateral cultural season in 2027 that will commemorate the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France in the UK and the 1000th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth.
“The Bayeux tapestry is one of the most iconic works of art ever produced in the UK, and I am delighted that we will be able to welcome it here in 2026,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
The Bayeux Tapestry Makes Its First Appearance in Britain in 900 Years
