The 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry depicting the last successful military invasion of England will arrive in London in the coming days by dead of night and under “police protection”, the UK envoy helping to coordinate the historic transfer told AFP.
But Peter Ricketts, the UK’s Bayeux Tapestry envoy, refused to be drawn on the exact date the “incredibly fragile object” would arrive from its home in northern France for a major exhibition at the British Museum.
“We don’t want any untoward incidents happening. And so that’s why we’re keeping the exact details and date confidential,” said Ricketts, describing the high-security operation around the 11th-century work.
“When it’s ready to be exhibited, we want millions of people to see it,” added Ricketts, Britain’s former ambassador to France.
The clandestine arrangements have done little to dampen enthusiasm. Ricketts said he was “not at all surprised” that the British Museum sold a record 100,000 tickets on the first day of sales for the exhibition, set to open on September 10th and run until July 11th, 2027.
