LONDON: In the dead of night on Friday, a large yellow truck led by a police escort made its way through the empty streets of London. Unbeknownst to late night stragglers, it was carrying a 1,000-year-old masterpiece: the Bayeux Tapestry.
The hushed-up, nighttime operation was the result of years of negotiations, tricky logistical planning and multiple technical studies to ensure the integrity of the medieval artwork.
Fears for the safety of the lace-like delicate tapestry, which has been insured by the British government for an eye-watering 800 million pounds (over $1 billion), meant that the date and details of the transfer were kept under wraps until the last moment.
It is believed to be the first time the 68-metre embroidered tapestry has left France in more than 900 years, and the first time it has been moved in over 40 years.
But after two test trips with a full-sized reproduction of the tapestry, the operation appeared a well-oiled machine.
