The Bayeux Tapestry is to be loaned to the British Museum

The Bayeux Tapestry will be transported through the Channel Tunnel. During a state visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Tuesday, July 8, Emmanuel Macron announced that the famous thousand-year-old embroidery would be loaned to the British Museum in London from September 2026 to June 2027.

In return, the United Kingdom has agreed to lend around a hundred medieval pieces, notably from the archaeological treasure of Sutton Hoo, which will be exhibited at the same time in the museums of Caen and Rouen, specifies the newspaper Ouest France .

"By its symbolic, unprecedented nature and the inestimable value of the items on loan, this unprecedented exchange demonstrates the desire to revitalize the cultural relationship between our two countries and the trust that exists between us today," Emmanuel Macron told Ouest France.

"Our British friends are returning the favor by offering us the opportunity to exhibit some absolutely magnificent pieces from the Sutton Hoo hoard, pieces from the Lewis chessboard, and the Battersea Shield," the head of state added.

On display in Bayeux since 1983, the tapestry, which dates back to the end of the 11th century, tells the story of William the Conqueror 's conquest of England. Emmanuel Macron announced the loan project to the United Kingdom in 2019 at the 35th Franco-British summit in Sandhu.

In terms of transport, the Bayeux Tapestry will be folded and placed in a crate, which will itself be protected in two other crates before being put on a truck, then on a train to pass through the Channel Tunnel.

During this time, the Tapestry Museum will undergo a facelift, with renovation and extension work to provide a new setting for the famous tapestry.