By Célia Gueuti & Serge Duchêne
The Bayeux Tapestry is about to leave France. This medieval masterpiece, a 70-metre-long embroidery recounting the Norman conquest of England, will be on display at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror.
Usually displayed in Bayeux, in northern France, the tapestry has been loaned with the agreement of President Emmanuel Macron as part of celebrations of cross-Channel relations.
French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard hailed "a political, cultural and symbolic act": "In a world that is fragmenting, that sometimes yields to the temptation of turning in on itself, France remains true to itself and opts for cultural outreach. We choose to affirm that the great democracies and old nations of Europe are destined to enrich each other", she said.
According to tradition, Matilda of Flanders, wife of King William the Conqueror, is said to have had the tapestry made during his military campaign.
