Voices: Who owns the past? Bayeux Tapestry loan reignites Elgin Marbles debate

As cultural treasures criss-cross borders in the name of diplomacy, a deeper debate looms: who really has the right to own the great relics of history? And are temporary loans a diplomatic fix, or a way of dodging the bigger question?

President Macron’s decision to loan the Bayeux Tapestry – likely stitched in Kent but kept in Normandy for centuries – has also reignited a more contentious debate: whether Britain should return other historic artefacts, most notably the Elgin marbles.

Some see striking parallels between the two: cultural icons, created in one place, preserved in another. But others argue it’s not so simple. “That comparison is a huge stretch,” one reader wrote in response to an article by Harry Mount last week. “It may have been made in England, but it was commissioned by the Normans… Normandy feels like the rightful home of this artefact.”

On the other side of the debate, however, another suggested: “As a born and bred Hastings chap, I’d say it’s not returned home until it’s been displayed at a Hastings museum.”

When it comes to the Parthenon sculptures, the stakes – and emotions – are even higher. Created in ancient Athens and removed in the 19th century, they remain on show at the British Museum in London.

Lord Elgin claimed he removed the sculptures with the permission of Ottoman officials, who controlled Athens at the time. However, the legality of his actions – deeply intertwined with the history of the British Empire – has been widely disputed, and Greece has never stopped calling for their return.

So what’s the answer? Are cultural loans a useful compromise, or just a stalling tactic? Should Britain begin returning historic artefacts to their countries of origin – and if so, where should the line be drawn?

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