The Bayeux Tapestry, one of the most iconic pieces of medieval art, is set to be displayed in the UK for the first time since its creation over 900 years ago, the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport has announced.
This 70-meter-long embroidered masterpiece, which vividly depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, will be loaned to the British Museum in London under a landmark cultural exchange between the UK and France. The tapestry is widely believed to have been crafted in Kent shortly after the conquest.
Set to go on display next autumn in the museum’s Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, the tapestry will remain in the UK until July 2027, while its current home—the Bayeux Museum in Normandy—undergoes renovation. The year 2027 also marks the 1000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror.
In return, the British Museum will send major artefacts to Normandy, including treasures from the Sutton Hoo burial site—such as an ornate 7th-century iron helmet—and the famous 12th-century Lewis chess pieces.
British Museum chair George Osborne called the upcoming exhibition “the blockbuster show of our generation,” comparing it to past cultural milestones like the exhibitions of Tutankhamun and the Terracotta Warriors.
The historic loan agreement is expected to be formally announced at Windsor Castle by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hailed the exchange as “a symbol of our shared history with our friends in France,” reflecting the deep-rooted and enduring ties between the two nations.
The tapestry, which portrays 58 scenes, over 600 characters, and more than 200 horses, offers a unique visual narrative of medieval life in both England and Normandy. While the final segment of the tapestry is missing, the existing scenes end with the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings.
First proposed in 2018 during talks between President Macron and then-Prime Minister Theresa May, the loan has taken seven years to come to fruition.
The work has inspired countless artists over the centuries, including British painter David Hockney, whose 2021 piece A Year in Normandy was directly influenced by the tapestry's form and storytelling style.
British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan described the loan as the kind of global partnership the museum aims to foster: sharing British treasures abroad while welcoming significant international works to the UK.
The announcement has also sparked discussion about the museum’s approach to other contested artefacts—most notably the Parthenon Sculptures, which Greece has long requested be returned. The Bayeux Tapestry agreement could set a precedent for similar cultural exchanges.
For now, though, the spotlight is on the upcoming exhibition, which the museum expects will be one of the most visited in its history.
As George Osborne noted: “There is no other single item in British history so familiar, so widely taught in schools, so often recreated in art as the Bayeux Tapestry. And next year, it will finally return home for all to see.” Photo by Myrabella, Wikimedia commons.