Moving the Bayeux Tapestry to London may be a triumph of diplomacy, but some experts warn it could prove a nightmare for conservationists – prompting the Elysée Palace to insist the challenge is far from impossible.
The planned loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain has been thrown into controversy, with French heritage experts warning that the fragile 11th-century embroidery is simply too delicate to withstand a cross-Channel journey.
But President Emmanuel Macron’s office has moved to calm the debate, insisting that the technical hurdles are not insurmountable.
Philippe Bélaval, the presidential aide tasked with overseeing the project, said: “Nothing suggests the technical challenge is impossible to overcome.”
His comments come after the tapestry – which stretches nearly 70 metres and depicts William the Conqueror’s 1066 invasion of England – was removed from its museum in Bayeux for the first time in more than four decades.
Last Thursday’s extraction was a delicate, seven-hour operation involving around 100 people.
The tapestry, which had been hanging from a rail since 1983, was carefully eased onto some 30 wheeled panels, folded onto itself, and then placed in a protective crate before being taken to a secret storage site in the Normandy town.
Officials described the transfer as having gone “remarkably well”, a result they see as encouraging for the eventual loan to London.
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Conservation concerns
The embroidery is scheduled to go on display at the British Museum from the summer of 2026, with exact dates still to be confirmed depending on conservation needs.
The London exhibition is expected to draw record crowds, with the museum predicting it could be “one of our most popular exhibitions ever”.
The project, however, has faced some pushback with several conservators and historians arguing that the nearly 1,000-year-old cloth, already weakened by age and past damage, risks suffering irreversible harm if moved again.
Some critics have labelled Macron’s offer to Britain – announced in July as a gesture of goodwill – a politically symbolic move that ignores expert advice.
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British Museum covers the cost
Bélaval has countered that the successful test run in Bayeux shows the loan can be done “properly” if handled with extreme care.
He also stressed that the entire cost of the operation will be covered by the British Museum.
“This is an operation that costs French taxpayers nothing,” he said, adding that financing has been a key concern in France.
The tapestry is due to spend a year in London before returning to Bayeux at the end of 2027, by which time its home museum will have undergone major renovation.
