The Bayeux Tapestry slipped into Britain under cover of darkness, its secret journey from northern France chaperoned by a police guard. At 02:50 BST, the heavy crate – encased in an aluminium frame – was lowered from a lorry into a loading bay at the British Museum, where it will go on display in September.
The 70-metre-long 11th-century embroidery, depicting 58 scenes of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066, has not returned to England since it is believed to have been created here nearly 1,000 years ago.
“Bayeux Tapestry arrives in UK under police guard for first time in 1,000 years.”
Nick Cullinan, director of the British Museum, watched the arrival alongside the French ambassador. “We’ve just witnessed something rather extraordinary,” he said. “It is returning to England for the first time in almost 1,000 years. It feels like a really remarkable thing not just to witness but to be part of, and we're so excited to share it with as many people as possible.”
Millie Horton-Insch, project curator of the exhibition, admitted she became emotional. “I did well up a little bit when I saw it coming off the lorry so I imagine I’ll probably be in floods of tears when I actually see it,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who last year agreed to the loan, called it “a gesture of trust, a tangible expression of a long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together.” The British Museum projected an image of the tapestry onto the white cliffs of Dover with the word “merci”.
But in France, the loan has stirred disquiet. A petition to stop it described the move as a “heritage crime”, reflecting concerns over the fragility of the work. Around 7.5 million visitors are expected to see the tapestry when it goes on show from September until July 2027.