London —
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla were joined by the French president and first lady at the British Museum in London on Wednesday for a private tour of the Bayeux Tapestry — a world-famous artwork depicting a fateful battle between the two nations.
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are on a two-day visit to the United Kingdom, in a bid to foster closer ties between the two European countries. Their trip began with a visit to see the 11th-century embroidery — currently on loan to Britain from France — which arrived in the UK in July after an absence of more than 900 years.
Also joining the two couples on the tour of the blockbuster exhibition, which opens to the public next week, were the recently appointed British prime minister, Andy Burnham, and his wife, Marie-France van Heel. In the role since July 20, it is the first time that Burnham has met the French leader.
Stretching to 70 meters long (230 feet), the Bayeux Tapestry is not actually a tapestry at all but an embroidery of dyed wool stitched onto a bleached linen background.
