In a landmark cultural exchange, the Bayeux Tapestry will be exhibited in Britain for the first time in nearly 1000 years, while iconic medieval artefacts from the British Museum—the Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis chess pieces—will go on display in France.
The exchange underscores the enduring cultural connections between France and the United Kingdom, highlighting how medieval heritage continues to shape national identity and international diplomacy. Starting in the fall of 2026, the British artefacts will be displayed in museums in Rouen and Caen—two cities central to Normandy’s medieval history—while the Bayeux Tapestry makes its long-awaited journey to London.
A similar loan was previously announced in 2018, when French officials agreed to lend the tapestry to the UK for a proposed 2022 exhibition. However, the plan was ultimately cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over the fragile condition of the embroidery. The renewed agreement marks a long-awaited moment for British audiences who missed out on seeing the tapestry during the earlier planned visit.
The Tapestry Comes to London
Photo by F Delventhal / Flickr
The Bayeux Tapestry—measuring nearly 70 metres in length—is one of the most recognizable and significant works of medieval art. Created in the late 11th century, the embroidered linen panel tells the dramatic story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, culminating in the Battle of Hastings and the defeat of King Harold Godwinson by Duke William of Normandy.
For the first time since its creation, the tapestry will be displayed in Britain. From September 2026 to July 2027, it will be the centrepiece of a major exhibition at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery in the British Museum. The loan was made possible through extensive negotiations between cultural institutions and government officials in both countries and was announced during the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK.
British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan remarked, “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.”
Cullinan continued, “This will be the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has been in the UK since it was made, almost 1,000 years ago. We are also delighted to send treasures from the British Museum—representing all four nations of the UK—to France in return.”
Britain Sends Treasures to Normandy
Sutton Hoo helmet at the British Museum
As part of the reciprocal arrangement, the Sutton Hoo treasures and Lewis chess pieces—two of the most celebrated medieval discoveries in Britain—will be displayed for French audiences.
The Sutton Hoo collection, unearthed in 1939 in Suffolk, dates to the early 7th century and includes lavish gold and silver artefacts buried within an Anglo-Saxon ship. The burial is believed to have commemorated a powerful East Anglian ruler, possibly King Rædwald. Among its most famous items is a striking iron helmet, which has become an icon of early medieval England.
Equally treasured are the Lewis chessmen, a collection of intricately carved walrus ivory figures believed to have been made in Norway in the 12th century. Discovered on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in 1831, they reflect the strong Norse cultural presence in medieval Scotland and the widespread popularity of chess across northern Europe.
A Diplomatic and Cultural Statement
The exchange of medieval artefacts comes at a time of renewed cultural cooperation between Britain and France. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron jointly announced the agreement, which is being celebrated as a symbolic affirmation of shared heritage and mutual respect.
“The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most iconic pieces of art ever produced in the UK,” said UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “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 exhibition will also mark the beginning of a bilateral season of culture in 2027, which will include celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth and the Grand Départ of the Tour de France from the UK.
To support the initiative, former UK Ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts has been appointed as the UK Government’s Envoy for the Bayeux Tapestry Loan.
Shared Medieval Heritage
Though often regarded as a French national treasure, the Bayeux Tapestry is widely believed to have been embroidered in England, likely in Canterbury, in the years following the Norman conquest. Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother, the tapestry blends Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship with Norman political messaging. Its 58 scenes, featuring over 600 human figures and hundreds of horses, ships, and architectural details, provide a vivid narrative of conquest, kingship, and medieval life.
Meanwhile, the artefacts heading to France represent different but equally rich traditions. The Sutton Hoo ship burial evokes an earlier age of kings, long before the Normans arrived, while the Lewis chessmen are products of the vibrant Norse-Gaelic world that shaped medieval Scotland and Ireland.
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum Trustees, called the exhibition “the blockbuster show of our generation,” adding that the tapestry is “so familiar, so studied in schools, so copied in art… Yet in almost a thousand years it has never returned to these shores.”
“Next year it will—and many, many thousands of visitors, especially schoolchildren, will see it with their own eyes,” he said. “And we’re thrilled too that the people of France will get to see some of the greatest treasures from all four nations of the United Kingdom.”
Longstanding Partnerships
The British Museum has maintained ties with the Bayeux Museum for over a decade. It hosted an international conference on the tapestry in 2008 and has participated in the museum’s scientific committee since 2013. The tapestry will return to France in time for the reopening of the newly renovated Bayeux Museum, which is set to begin a two-year renovation in September 2025.
This cross-Channel loan is not the only act of cultural diplomacy between the two countries. Three major UK cultural organisations—the British Film Institute, the National Trust, and Sadler’s Wells—will sign partnership agreements with French counterparts to foster continued artistic collaboration.
A Rare Medieval Moment
Few medieval objects inspire as much fascination and scholarly attention as the Bayeux Tapestry. Its loan to Britain will likely be remembered as one of the most significant museum events of the decade. Just as striking is the symbolism of two former rivals trading not swords or ships, but artefacts of mutual significance.
Through this exchange, the medieval past becomes a bridge—not a battleground—between nations. For historians, educators, and the general public, it’s an unparalleled chance to reflect on a shared legacy that continues to shape Europe’s story.
In a landmark cultural exchange, the Bayeux Tapestry will be exhibited in Britain for the first time in nearly 1000 years, while iconic medieval artefacts from the British Museum—the Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis chess pieces—will go on display in France.
The exchange underscores the enduring cultural connections between France and the United Kingdom, highlighting how medieval heritage continues to shape national identity and international diplomacy. Starting in the fall of 2026, the British artefacts will be displayed in museums in Rouen and Caen—two cities central to Normandy’s medieval history—while the Bayeux Tapestry makes its long-awaited journey to London.
A similar loan was previously announced in 2018, when French officials agreed to lend the tapestry to the UK for a proposed 2022 exhibition. However, the plan was ultimately cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over the fragile condition of the embroidery. The renewed agreement marks a long-awaited moment for British audiences who missed out on seeing the tapestry during the earlier planned visit.
The Tapestry Comes to London
The Bayeux Tapestry—measuring nearly 70 metres in length—is one of the most recognizable and significant works of medieval art. Created in the late 11th century, the embroidered linen panel tells the dramatic story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, culminating in the Battle of Hastings and the defeat of King Harold Godwinson by Duke William of Normandy.
For the first time since its creation, the tapestry will be displayed in Britain. From September 2026 to July 2027, it will be the centrepiece of a major exhibition at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery in the British Museum. The loan was made possible through extensive negotiations between cultural institutions and government officials in both countries and was announced during the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK.
British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan remarked, “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.”
Cullinan continued, “This will be the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has been in the UK since it was made, almost 1,000 years ago. We are also delighted to send treasures from the British Museum—representing all four nations of the UK—to France in return.”
Britain Sends Treasures to Normandy
As part of the reciprocal arrangement, the Sutton Hoo treasures and Lewis chess pieces—two of the most celebrated medieval discoveries in Britain—will be displayed for French audiences.
The Sutton Hoo collection, unearthed in 1939 in Suffolk, dates to the early 7th century and includes lavish gold and silver artefacts buried within an Anglo-Saxon ship. The burial is believed to have commemorated a powerful East Anglian ruler, possibly King Rædwald. Among its most famous items is a striking iron helmet, which has become an icon of early medieval England.
Equally treasured are the Lewis chessmen, a collection of intricately carved walrus ivory figures believed to have been made in Norway in the 12th century. Discovered on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in 1831, they reflect the strong Norse cultural presence in medieval Scotland and the widespread popularity of chess across northern Europe.
A Diplomatic and Cultural Statement
The exchange of medieval artefacts comes at a time of renewed cultural cooperation between Britain and France. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron jointly announced the agreement, which is being celebrated as a symbolic affirmation of shared heritage and mutual respect.
“The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most iconic pieces of art ever produced in the UK,” said UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “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 exhibition will also mark the beginning of a bilateral season of culture in 2027, which will include celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth and the Grand Départ of the Tour de France from the UK.
To support the initiative, former UK Ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts has been appointed as the UK Government’s Envoy for the Bayeux Tapestry Loan.
Shared Medieval Heritage
Though often regarded as a French national treasure, the Bayeux Tapestry is widely believed to have been embroidered in England, likely in Canterbury, in the years following the Norman conquest. Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother, the tapestry blends Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship with Norman political messaging. Its 58 scenes, featuring over 600 human figures and hundreds of horses, ships, and architectural details, provide a vivid narrative of conquest, kingship, and medieval life.
Meanwhile, the artefacts heading to France represent different but equally rich traditions. The Sutton Hoo ship burial evokes an earlier age of kings, long before the Normans arrived, while the Lewis chessmen are products of the vibrant Norse-Gaelic world that shaped medieval Scotland and Ireland.
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum Trustees, called the exhibition “the blockbuster show of our generation,” adding that the tapestry is “so familiar, so studied in schools, so copied in art… Yet in almost a thousand years it has never returned to these shores.”
“Next year it will—and many, many thousands of visitors, especially schoolchildren, will see it with their own eyes,” he said. “And we’re thrilled too that the people of France will get to see some of the greatest treasures from all four nations of the United Kingdom.”
Longstanding Partnerships
The British Museum has maintained ties with the Bayeux Museum for over a decade. It hosted an international conference on the tapestry in 2008 and has participated in the museum’s scientific committee since 2013. The tapestry will return to France in time for the reopening of the newly renovated Bayeux Museum, which is set to begin a two-year renovation in September 2025.
This cross-Channel loan is not the only act of cultural diplomacy between the two countries. Three major UK cultural organisations—the British Film Institute, the National Trust, and Sadler’s Wells—will sign partnership agreements with French counterparts to foster continued artistic collaboration.
A Rare Medieval Moment
Few medieval objects inspire as much fascination and scholarly attention as the Bayeux Tapestry. Its loan to Britain will likely be remembered as one of the most significant museum events of the decade. Just as striking is the symbolism of two former rivals trading not swords or ships, but artefacts of mutual significance.
Through this exchange, the medieval past becomes a bridge—not a battleground—between nations. For historians, educators, and the general public, it’s an unparalleled chance to reflect on a shared legacy that continues to shape Europe’s story.
Top Image: Supercarwaar / Wikimedia Commons
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