Bayeux Tapestry arrives in UK for the first time in 900 years
The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived in the UK, for the first time since it is believed to have been created here nearly 1,000 years ago.
At 02:50 BST, chaperoned from a secret location in northern France by a police guard, it was driven into a loading bay at the British Museum, which will put it on display in September.
The 70m-long 11th century embroidery depicts in 58 scenes events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The heavy-looking crate, encased in an aluminium frame, was lowered out of the lorry in front of a select crowd including the French ambassador to the UK and the director of the British Museum.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in that the loan was "a gesture of trust, a tangible expression of a long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together".
Isn't life better when we cooperate with our friends and neighbours rather than shout mindlessly at them and stoke hatred? Apparently there will be a translated version for Nigel Farage in case he "feels uncomfortable" 😊
@ninalanyon It's a little known exhibit and when I discovered it by chance was amazed by it. Very few were there the day I went and when I tell you how much I paid to see it, you'll be amazed: zilch. Like all public museums, it's free for the general exhibits.
I imagine the original will be even more wonderful, simply by dint of the history
@ninalanyon I have done so. It is a marvellous exhibit with its own history. I saw the original on a school trip to France, but was probably too young to understand its significance.
@aboveaverageaveragejoe This isn't the States. Most of us avoid racially charged epithets and prefer good relations with neighbours, even when we don't agree.
@aboveaverageaveragejoe Normandy was completely independent of France in 1066, by which stage it had been colonised by Danes for over 150 years. The French have taken good care of our tapestry.
@zonavar68 Not really. There is no doubt about its provenance and the craft work is unparalleled . As to its value, like every historical object, it depends on how you value history itself.
@zonavar68 It's a historical artefact and document. Nothing mystical about it, no myths or grand narrative surrounding its provenance. It's just an exceptionally informative (and beautiful) witness to one of the most momentous events in our history.
