By Célia Gueuti & Serge Duchêne
The Bayeux Tapestry is preparing to leave France. A medieval masterpiece, this embroidery, which stretches for 70 metres and recounts the Norman conquest of England, will go 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 on display in Bayeux, in northern France, the tapestry has been lent on the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron as part of celebrations of cross-Channel relations.
France's culture minister Catherine Pégard hailed "a political, cultural and symbolic act": "In a world that is fragmenting, that sometimes gives in to the temptation of turning in on itself, France remains true to what it is and opts for cultural outreach. We choose to assert that the great democracies and ancient nations of Europe are destined to enrich one another," she said.
According to tradition, it was Matilda of Flanders, wife of King William the Conqueror, who is said to have had the tapestry made during his military campaign.
