When France finally agreed to loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, many thought centuries of intense Anglo-French rivalry had finally been put to one side.
But the demands tabled by Paris officials to return the historic artifact to England after more than 900 years risked reigniting tensions.
French president Emmanuel Macron last month announced that the iconic depiction of the 1066 Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings would be loaned to the British Museum next year.
He originally floated the idea at a summit with former prime minister Theresa May in 2018 but it was met with fierce pushback from French cultural officials.
Discussions only restarted earlier this year but both sides were still at odds over the conditions to loan Britain the 70-metre-long work, according to the Finanical Times.
