Volkswacht Bodensee - Bayeux Tapestry to be shown flat for first time in London exhibit

The 68-metre-long (224-foot-long) tapestry has been moved from its museum in northern France for the first time in more than 40 years for the major new exhibition.

The historic work is normally on permanent display in the northern French town of Bayeux in Normandy. Previously it has been displayed vertically.

It will be showcased in London "flat for the first time and in one continuous length in a specially made show case", the British Museum said in a statement Monday.

"Displaying the tapestry flat allows audiences to fully appreciate the scale of this spectacular and one-of-a-kind medieval embroidery," it said.

The historic artwork will be shown alongside other loans from UK and European institutions that will help put it into its medieval context, museum chiefs said.

These will include rare documents, illustrated manuscripts and even a hoard of silver pennies.

"The Norman Conquest not only impacted kings, dukes and the elite, but also everyday people, including those who made this artwork," said exhibition curator Michael Lewis.

The exhibition would be a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to delve into the events leading to the Norman Conquest "an incredible moment that changed England forever", he said.

The loan comes after French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2025 promised to allow the tapestry to be moved to the British Museum for 18 months to celebrate the relationship between France and Britain.

But the gesture sparked an outcry from heritage experts concerned over the ancient embroidery's already fragile state.

Since 2020, experts have meticulously documented 24,204 stains, 9,646 holes and 30 tears in the artwork which was added to UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register in 2007.

The Bayeux Tapestry Experience is due to open to the public on September 10 and run until July 11 next year.

M.Schneider--VB