Bayeux Tapestry to Visit UK in 2026 After Nearly 1,000 Years

The Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century embroidered linen depicting the Norman conquest of England and normally housed in Normandy, will be loaned to the British Museum in London from September 2026, marking its first display in the UK in nearly 1,000 years. This unprecedented cultural exchange between France and the UK was formalized by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who highlighted the loan as a symbol of shared history and kinship despite occasional rivalry. The tapestry, measuring about 230 feet long, vividly illustrates the Battle of Hastings and elements of 11th-century life with over 600 figures, numerous animals, and Latin inscriptions. The British Museum will also loan iconic Anglo-Saxon artifacts like the Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis chessmen to France in return, signaling one of the most extensive cultural exchanges between the two countries. Experts emphasize the tapestry’s artistic and historical significance as both a masterpiece of medieval embroidery and a graphic, engaging narrative of conquest, friendship, betrayal, and war, likely created by Anglo-Saxon noblewomen. The exhibition promises to be a major cultural event in the UK, coinciding with renovations at the Bayeux Museum, which will close in 2026 and reopen in 2027.