Volkswacht Bodensee - Bayeux Tapestry leaves museum for first time since 1983 before UK loan

The 68-metre-long (224-foot-long) tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, was taken from its museum on Thursday in the French town of Bayeux in Normandy and placed in a secret storage location, the sources said.

Although the French state initially announced a delay to the transfer as a result of nationwide strikes and protests against French President Emmanuel Macron, the tapestry's removal went ahead under a cloud of secrecy.

France's loan of the artefact, which was added to UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register in 2007, has sparked an outcry from heritage experts concerned over the ancient embroidery's already fragile state.

Given its sensitivity, Thursday's transfer was undertaken with the greatest precaution, the sources insisted.

In July, Macron promised to loan the tapestry to the British Museum in London in September 2026 to celebrate the relationship between France and Britain, with the tapestry set to land on British soil for the first time.

Critics argue that the transfer to the UK risks causing damage to the priceless piece. More than 73,000 people have signed an online petition on change.org urging Macron to stop a "true heritage crime".

C.Koch--VB