Prime Minister and President Macron agree a
loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK.
- Tapestry will go on display at the British Museum in London
with Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis chessmen loaned to France
in return
- Loan marks the first time the work will have been in the UK
for more than 900 years
UK Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel
Macron are expected to announce that the Bayeux Tapestry will
come to the UK in 2026, opening access and providing education
opportunities for millions of people.
The loan, which will mark the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has
been in the UK in nearly 1,000 years, will be displayed in the
The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum in London
between September 2026 and July 2027.
It is expected that the blockbuster exhibition, which will offer
the chance to see the Tapestry up close for the first time on UK
soil since its creation, will also boost London's visitor
economy.
The 70-metre work, which is more than 900-year-old, depicts the
1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings. The battle saw
William the Conquerer take the English throne from Harald
Godwinson and become the first Norman King of England. It is
widely accepted to have been made in England during the 11th
century and was likely to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of
Bayeux. The Tapestry has been on display in various locations in
France throughout its history, including most recently at the
Bayeux Museum.
In addition to the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry, the British
Museum will loan the Sutton Hoo collection, the Lewis Chessmen
and other treasures to France. The Sutton Hoo treasures,
discovered as part of a seventh century Anglo-Saxon ship burial
in Suffolk in 1939, provide remarkable insights into England from
a time before the Norman Conquest. Museums in Normandy will host
the Sutton Hoo treasures while they are in France.
The British Museum is home to two million years of human history
and culture and is one of the most-visited attractions in the
world, attracting more than 6 million visitors in 2024.
The announcement will be made by the UK Culture Secretary and French Culture Minister
Rachida Dati later today as part of the State visit to the UK by
President Macron and Madame Macron.
Culture Secretary said:
The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most iconic pieces of art ever
produced in the UK and I am delighted that we will be able to
welcome it here in 2026. This loan is a symbol of our shared
history with our friends in France, a relationship built over
centuries and one that continues to endure.
The British Museum is one of the world's most visited museums and
is a fitting place to host this most treasured piece of our
nation's history.
Director of the British Museum Nicholas Cullinan said:
The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important and unique
cultural artefacts in the world, which illustrates the deep ties
between Britain and France and has fascinated people across
geographies and generations. It is hard to overstate the
significance of this extraordinary opportunity of displaying it
at the British Museum and we are profoundly grateful to everyone
involved. This will be the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has
been in the UK since it was made, almost 1000 years ago. We are
also delighted to send the Lewis chessmen, and some of our
treasures from Sutton Hoo - the greatest archaeological discovery
in Britain – to France in return.
This is exactly the kind of international partnership that I want
us to champion and take part in: sharing the best of our
collection as widely as possible – and in return displaying
global treasures never seen here before.
Further details of the exhibition will be announced by the
British Museum in due course.
The loan will form part of a bilateral season of culture in 2027
that will celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the birth of
William the Conquerer and the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de
France from the UK.
Lord has been appointed by the
government to act as the UK Government's Envoy for the Bayeux
Tapestry Loan. Further details on the loan of the Bayeux
Tapestry, the loan of the Sutton Hoo Treasure will be made in due
course.
In addition, three UK cultural organisations will also be signing
Memoranda of Understanding with French counterparts: the British
Film Institute and the Centre National du Cinema; the National
Trust and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux; and Sadler's Wells
and the Chaillot Théâtre National de la Danse. These partnerships
between some of our flagship cultural organisations will ensure
that creative partnerships and projects can continue to thrive
between our two nations for years to come.
