Britain's King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited the exhibition housing the historic Bayeux Tapestry on Wednesday (2 September), which depicts the conquest of England by the monarch's ancestor William I in 1066.
Together with Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron, they walked the length of the tapestry and viewed scenes depicting the coronation of Harold Godwinson and his death by an arrow during the Battle of Hastings.
Under a deal struck with the French government, the 70-metre (230-foot) Tapestry has been loaned to the British Museum from its home in northern France and brought to English soil for the first time since it was made.
The exchange of historic treasures is an important gesture towards common understanding, Macron said after the visit.
“We do not know for certain where this masterpiece was embroidered. And some of the rather quirky creatures in its borders still leaves us scratching our heads. But what we do know is that the epic it tells bound our cultures, our histories, and our destinies together," he said.
"In the troubled times we are living through, all of this (connecting and sharing history and culture) is far from secondary importance. And when our societies are in doubt, we need places and works of art to look together at what humanity is capable of creating and passing on," Macron added.
In his speech, Charles concurred with Macron, saying that the Bayeux Tapestry is a symbol "not only of our shared past but our shared future".
“May this tapestry and the treasures that will travel in return stand as symbols not only of our shared past, but our shared future, a future woven as it should be by Britain and France together," the King said.
The embroidery, which historians believe was likely commissioned by William’s half-brother, Bishop Odo, and stitched by English seamstresses in Kent, recounts the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent defeat of Anglo-Saxon King Harold II by Norman forces. Every English monarch since, including King Charles, can trace their lineage back to William I.
As part of the reciprocal loan agreement, France is lending the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum, while Britain is sending a collection of British treasures to French museums in return. These include the Sutton Hoo treasure - an assemblage of gold and other artefacts dating to the 7th century, as well as a selection of Lewis chess pieces and other historic masterpieces.
The loan exchange was confirmed last July during Macron’s state visit to Britain and is considered a symbol of closer ties between the two countries.
Strong demand for tickets has made the exhibition the British Museum’s best-selling exhibition, generating nearly $3.4 million in advance sales.
The exhibition will open to the public on 10 September and run until July next year.
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