Bayeux Tapestry unveiled after arriving in Britain for first time in 1,000 years
The Bayeux Tapestry has been unveiled after returning to Britain for the first time in 1,000 years.
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The 70-metre-long (229ft) tapestry, which is linen with embroidered images of the Norman Conquest, arrived at the British Museum from France last week.
It was unveiled to the media today, but will be displayed to the public in September.
The Britrish Museum said the “once-in-a-generation exhibition has already been unprecedented”, recording the single biggest day of ticket sales when sales went live on July 1, generating more than £2.4 million in sales in the first 24 hours.
Director of the British Museum Dr Nicholas Cullinan said: “This has been a monumental effort from colleagues at the British Museum and our partners in the UK and France.
“Watching the Tapestry arrive at the Museum is a moment I will never forget and I look forward to seeing the exhibition take shape over the coming weeks and welcoming the first visitors through our doors this September.”
Read more: Bayeux tapestry returns to UK for first time in nearly 1,000 years
The Metropolitan Police Service and Kent Police transported the 11th-century embroidery from Folkestone to London in what the British Museum has called “one of the most significant international museum loans ever undertaken between the two countries”.
George Osborne, chairman of trustees at the British Museum, described the tapestry as a “defining piece of our nation’s history and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy added: “Make no mistake – this is an historic moment and a significant act of friendship as we welcome this iconic historical tapestry back to Britain for the first time in almost 1,000 years.
“This exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about this pivotal period in our national story and our shared heritage and friendship with France, which endures to the present day. I’m delighted to welcome this tapestry back onto British shores.”
French president Emmanuel Macron has also said the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum shows what the two countries “can achieve when they join forces”.
Writing in The Times, Macron said the loan was a “tangible expression of long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together”.
He said the two nations recognise what sets each other apart, but also “their natural affinity and what they can achieve when they join forces”.
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, which saw William the Conqueror take the English throne from King Harold and become the first Norman king of England.
Around 7.5 million people are expected to see the tapestry in London when it goes on show from September to July 2027.