The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at the British Museum from September 2026 to June 2027, says France's President Emmanuel Macron. In exchange, French museums will be allowed to borrow medieval finds from the United Kingdom.
This exchange symbolizes the desire to revive the cultural ties between our countries and the trust we have in each other today, says Macron to the newspaper Ouest-France.
The Bayeux Tapestry resembles a kind of medieval comic book and depicts William the Conqueror's and the Normans' conquest of England and culminates in the decisive Battle of Hastings in 1066, when the English king Harold was killed.
It is believed to have been embroidered in England in the 1070s, as a gift to William.
Part of the historical value of the tapestry lies in the depictions of everyday life at that time.
The work of art is in very good condition for its age, but was recently restored for the first time in over 100 years. The museum in Bayeux in Normandy where it usually hangs will be closed for renovation later this year.
